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PFUJ members stage protest against the Peca 2025 law outside the Karachi Press Club. — Geo.tv/File
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Thursday filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the controversial prevention of the Electronic Crime (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Advocate Imran Shafik filed a lawsuit by PFUJ President Afzal Butt, who called the government’s move an attack on media independence.
“The PECA (Amendment) Act is unconstitutional and illegal, therefore, the court should take a judicial review.”
The ruling coalition has already approved the controversial amendments from both the National Assembly and the Senate in a short term in the controversial PECA law, in which opposition parties, journalists and media agencies decide its provisions with lack of consultation. What too
Journalists’ agency said in the petition that the PECA (Amendment) 2025 has increased sanctions on government control and freedom of expression.
It states that the PECA law has also violated Articles 19 and 19 (a) of the Constitution. Therefore, he pleaded, the law should be suspended.
“The PECA (Amendment) gave the government unlimited censorship powers. Without it, making fake news of any action is a violation of unconstitutional and media freedom.
The PFUJ said that the law has violated human rights as well as digital rights in Pakistan.
The petition states: “… a writ can be issued in which it can be announced that the prevention of the Electronic Crime (Amendment) Act, 2025 is unconstitutional, which is a violation of the basic rights of guarantees through the Constitution, Proper action, fair trial, and the concept of regulatory freedom, as well as justice, proportion, rationality, and the ideas of constitutional boundaries or sanctions, so false, and is responsible for eliminating it.
He said it is further prayed that respondents generally, and against the journalist community, and especially until the final request for immediate application, forced options under the Prevention of the Electronic Crime (Amendment) Act, 2025. Can be stopped from working. “
Meanwhile, while talking to the media in Islamabad, Shafik said that the law has banned the freedom of the media as the government wants to crush freedom of expression.
“There is no clear procedure to deal with fake information,” he said. .
The law, which has now come after President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval, providing new definitions, establishing regulatory and investigative agencies, and a severe fine for spreading “false” information.
The new amendment reduced the punishment for spreading “fake information” online for three years, while the offender may also be fined up to Rs 2 million.
The new amendments have also proposed the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the establishment of a social media protection tribunal.
In addition, it states that anyone can approach the authority to remove or withhibit access to such information, and the authority will issue an order after 24 hours on request.
The latest changes also say that the authority may need any social media platform to pay for the form and such fees in any way, in any way, in any way, in any way.
In addition, a new amendment also proposed a social media complaint council’s constitution to obtain and act complaints made by the parties against any violation of cybercrime law. –
It also proposed the establishment of a social media protection tribunals, which will resolve the cases within 90 days, which will allow the Supreme Court to be allowed within 60 days.
