Journalist fraternity, opposition protest against 'controversial' Peca amendments

• PFUJ terms today black day for Pakistan's democracy, media.
• Announces protests from platforms of PFUJ, JAC.
• Senate also approved Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024 today.

Nationwide protests by the journalist fraternity and the opposition erupted on Tuesday against the "controversial" Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The amendments, which sailed through the National Assembly earlier, were also passed by the Senate today. The tweaks aim to tighten the noose around those involved in misinformation and fake news on social media platforms according to the government. 

During today's session, the upper house approved the Peca (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024, which aim to create a digital society, economy and governance, amid commotion by the opposition benches.

The opposition parties and journalists' bodies joined hands in protests across the country against contentious tweaks to the Peca law after declaring it "controversial" over "lack of clarity" in many legal aspects, including the term "fake news". Media workers fear the amended law will also be used to target them and will impact the freedom of press. 

Additionally, the media fraternity also expressed anger over the incumbent government for passing the amendments without either consulting them or taking them into confidence.

As demonstrations took place across all major cities of the country, a large number of journalists, lawyers, and civil society members participated in the agitation organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) outside the National Press Club in Islamabad today.

The protesters started marching towards D-Chowk to record their protest, led by the journalist body's President Afzal Butt and NPC President Azhar Jatoi against the Peca amendment bill.

The journalists were seen wearing chains as a sign of protest and chanted slogans against the Peca Act in the rally.

The protest rally was turned into a sit-in after demonstrators reached D-Chowk. The PFUJ president, addressing the participants, clarified that they were not against regulations, however, no one would be allowed to attack the freedom of expression in the country.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed at  D-Chowk, and barbed wire was installed to try to stop the movement of the protesters.

Several journalists sustained injuries after trying to remove the barbed wire as they defied barriers installed by the police personnel to continue their rally.

Some police personnel also tried to arrest the PFUJ president after stopping him from leading the rally to the restricted Red Zone.

Another demonstration was held outside the Lahore Press Club which was addressed by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary Information Qaiser Sharif.

Bhachar said the opposition urged the treasury benches to contact all stakeholders on the controversial act, including steps to take the journalist bodies in confidence. He claimed that the incumbent government did not have a mandate to take decisions, adding that the Peca Act proved that the current set-up was "not a democratic government".

JI leader Sharif announced his support for the journalist community against the controversial law.

In Karachi, journalists, lawyers and civil society members organised a joint protest, rejecting the modified law, terming it an attack to silence freedom of expression.

Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, addressing the protest rally, said: "This is the beginning of a historical struggle against a civilian martial law as the first attack was carried out on the judiciary and the second on media."

Expressing outrage over the Peca tweaks, he claimed that digital media has been targeted since 2016 and slammed the rulers, saying: "Fake news is not an issue but the actual issue is reporting news."

Abbas further said that some state elements wanted to keep journalism under their control and warned stakeholders not to compromise on the new tweaks, "otherwise, everyone would be controlled".

The senior journalist was of the view that if the government was serious about devising new regulations, then it would have to be passed by consensus [of all stakeholders].

During the protest outside the Karachi Press Club, the journalists chanted slogans of "No to Peca Act". Former KPC president Saeed Sarbazi announced that the media fraternity would continue holding rallies and hunger strikes until the withdrawal of the controversial law.

Several prominent journalists and anchors also denounced the Peca amendments, claiming it against democratic norms and describing the modifications as a move to silence voices.

Geo News journalist Shahzad Iqbal shared an X post of the Anchors Association of Pakistan, stating: "Working journalists reject Pakistan’s government’s present move to silence freedom of speech via controversial Peca Act. When governments silence voices, they silence democracy itself. Pakistan must uphold the right to dissent. #FreeSpeechUnderAttack #SilenceIsOppression."

"Shame on all politicians who passed the black law #PECA amendment bill & opposition who supported it in standing committee of senate & only gave speeches against it in public. This bill will kill freedom of speech & create a parallel judicial system which violates fair trial. SHAME,” wrote Munizae Jahangir on X.

"Will @PresOfPakistan also sign it?" senior journalist Afia Salam questioned on X, adding: "#PECA amendment passed! #Shame on all those who made it happen."

"Sidelining all the concerns expressed by the journalists and digital rights activists? I won't hold my breath! Journalists should list those who said aye, & refuse them any coverage," Salam said.

"Peca is a terror strike on #freedomofExpression," said Amir Zia. He said: "The passage of amendments in #PECA laws without any debate has again exposed our so-called democrats. The PMLN has a history of stifling #pressfreedom. The PPP, the MQM & the rest — all are now in the same bandwagon."

"The passage of amendments in #PECA laws without any debate has again exposed our so-called democrats," said Zia.

"Government did not consult any stakeholders and bulldozed the law through parliament without debate," criticised Usama Khilji, director of a civil society organisation Bolo Bhi, in an X post.

The PFUJ termed it a "black day for Pakistan’s democracy, media, citizen’s freedoms and freedom of speech". "This day will always be remembered as a black day and the parties who played their part in getting this black law approved, we will keep reminding them of this," said the PFUJ president.

"We have already announced staging protests from the platform of PFUJ and Joint Action Committee (JAC) and today, they have pushed us to protest even more," he added.

Last week, the National Assembly approved the Peca amendments, making changes to the existing controversial law, drawing severe criticism from journalist bodies as well as the opposition.

These tweaks included new definitions, the establishment of regulatory and investigative bodies, and stricter penalties for disseminating "false" information.

The government aims to lower the punishment for spreading “fake information” online to three years, according to a draft of the document, while they may also face a fine of up to Rs2 million.

Meanwhile, the newly amended bill also proposes the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Social Media Protection Tribunal.

The statement of objects and reasons said that the Peca (Amendment) Bill aims to modernise and enhance the legislative framework for combating cybercrime in Pakistan, ensuring alignment with present-day requirements and addressing the growing complexities of cyber threats.