Islamabad, Jan 4 (NationPress) Amendments to Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) were enacted in a non-transparent manner and approved by the Parliament in January of the previous year without any public consultation or debate. Despite assurances from Senators that the revised law would not be weaponized against journalists, this promise was evidently disregarded, as pointed out by a human rights activist.

According to Usama Khilji, Director of Bolo Bhi, an advocacy group for digital rights, “The consequences of this non-democratic approach have been detrimental, particularly concerning the alterations made to the law and the implications for lawyers, journalists, and activists. This has instilled a chilling effect on both citizens and the press.” Khilji elaborated in a report for Dawn.

The National Cybercrime Investigation Authority (NCCIA), established under this law, is essentially a rebranded version of the FIA’s cybercrime division that has operated since 2016. Presently, there are only 15 reporting centers that require in-person visits, creating significant obstacles for individuals wishing to lodge complaints under Peca. The 2025 amendment reversed a prior allowance for complaints to be made at any police station across Pakistan, which was instituted in December 2023.

This amendment has granted the state, via the NCCIA, the authority to prosecute any person deemed critical of governmental policies. In 2025, the NCCIA summoned multiple journalists for inquiries related to their professional activities under Peca. Notably, several journalists faced legal action under this law, including Farhan Mallick, founder of the independent media platform Raftar, who was arrested in February 2025, and Khalid Jamil from Hum News, apprehended in August 2025. Furthermore, a case was filed against Muhammad Aslam from Vehari for reporting on alleged corruption in a road project.

In July of the previous year, an Islamabad court, responding to a request from the NCCIA, mandated the blocking of 27 YouTube channels linked to journalists for “anti-Pakistan” reporting, although some were later reinstated upon appeal.

Peca is also being utilized against lawyers and human rights advocates. For instance, the case involving human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha concerns a Peca complaint filed by the NCCIA pertaining to seven tweets from 2021 by Mazari regarding legal issues, human rights, and enforced disappearances, with Chattha facing charges for reposting these messages.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court instructed lower courts in Islamabad to adhere to proper legal processes, as multiple hearings were being held simultaneously while witness statements were recorded without the presence of the accused.

“During cross-examination, an NCCIA official admitted that government representatives are permitted to express the same sentiments for which the couple is being prosecuted. In this environment, journalists and lawyers are becoming icons merely for performing their duties, which has transformed into a courageous act. A Parliament that enacts laws without deliberation, an executive that detains its citizens for exercising free speech, and a judiciary that fails to uphold the rights it is meant to serve require a reminder of fundamental rights and justice,” Khilji concluded in the Dawn report.