Senate committee okays Peca bill ignoring opposition by JUI-F, journalists
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Faisal Saleem Rahman (fourth right) chairing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior in Islamabad. — Facebook/ @Pakistansenate / File
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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Monday approved the Electronic Crimes Act (PACA) amendment bill despite opposition to journalist unions and Jamiat Ulema -e -Islam (F).
Geo News reported that while discussing the bill, JUIF Senator Kamran Murtaza expressed concern over the approval soon. “How can this bill be approved so quickly? There was no time to read, it was rarely advised.” They said with astonishment.
He criticized the bill on the lack of explanation, saying that the term “fake news” is unconstitutional, raising questions about how it will be determined.
The PML -N Senator Irfan Siddiqui acknowledged the reservations of journalists and said: “It would have been better that journalists would be consulted before. However, we agree with the essence of the bill, because it is very important to resolve the issue of fake news, especially on social media. “
The Secretary of the Interior Ministry requested the committee to approve the bill in its current form, as the National Assembly approved, noting that the government had introduced amendments to improve its implementation.
The National Assembly approved the PACA (Amendment) 2025 on January 23, which made changes to the current controversial law, which was severely criticized by journalists as well as the opposition.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Secretary General Arshad Ansari told Geo News that journalists would challenge the amendment in court and announced to boycott assembly meetings as well as protest.
The bill was approved within a few minutes after the Federal Minister for Industry and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain was presented as the opposition parties had already walked out.
This includes new definitions, establishing regulatory and investigative agencies, and severe penalties for spreading “false” information.
According to the document draft, the government’s purpose is to reduce the punishment for spreading “fake information” online to three years, while they may be fined up to Rs 2 million.
“Whoever deliberately spreads, shows or transmits any information through any informative system, which he knows or is the reason to believe or believe it or to be false or fake The reason for doing and is likely to create or create a sense of fear, panic or unrest or unrest. Can be fined or fined up to Rs 2 million or with both.
The lower house of parliament gave the bill a green light after a few hours when journalists – including PFUJ, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Council of Pakistan News Paper Editors, and Pakistan Broadcasters Associates Aviation – rejected the proposed amendment.
Meanwhile, the new 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 and reasons for the reasons said that the purpose of the Electronic Crime Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to modernize and enhance the legislative framework to tackle cyber crime in Pakistan, ensuring harmony with the requirements of the present era. And have to remove the growing complications of cyber threats.
In addition, it is said, anyone can approach the authority to remove or block such information “harassed and incorrect information” and the authority will issue orders within 24 hours on request. –
According to the bill, the authority will have a chairperson and eight other members, of which the Secretary of Interior, Chairman Pemra and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will be chairman or PTA member. It added that “besides the chairperson and five members, the former members, the federal government will be appointed for a long period of live years.”
The proposed changes also said that the authority may need to register any social media platform on any way, form and such fees payment with which it has been suggested.
It added that in addition to the requirements of the Act, additional terms or requirements that are considered appropriate can also be fixed during the list of social media platforms.
The bill stated that the authority would have the authority to issue instructions to the social media platform that if it was against Pakistan, to remove or block online content.
- The people encourage the people to violate the law, to take the law into their hands, to force, to force, to scare, to scare, to force people, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions.
- Increase the public or public part to damage public or private property.
- Forcibly or intimidate the public or the public and thus prevent them from continuing their lawful trade and disrupting urban life
- Religious, sectarian or ethnic hatred and humiliation on religious, sectarian or ethnic grounds to cause violence or internal disturbances.
- In violation of any applicable law, any pornographic or pornographic content.
- Are known for fake or false or there are plenty of reasons to believe that it may be fake or false than a reasonable suspicion
- The judiciary, the armed forces, the parliament or the members of the provincial assembly are charged against any person.
- Or promoted and encouraged other forms of terrorism and violence against the state or its institutions.
In addition, the new amendment also proposed the establishment of a Social Media Compliance Council to receive and take complaints made by the parties against any provision of cybercrime law violating any provision of law.
The bill also proposed the establishment of social media protection tribunals. Each tribunal will be eligible to become a judge of the High Court, a journalist registered at the Press Club and a software engineer.
Tribunals need to deal with cases within 90 days; appeal is allowed in the Supreme Court within 60 days.
Meanwhile, he also proposed the establishment of an investigative agency called the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate, investigate and prosecute crime under this act.
