The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has vowed to continue its protest against the PECA amendment bill 2025.
The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, has signed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) amendment bill, 2025, along with the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025, sparking strong opposition from journalists.
PFUJ Secretary General Arshad Ansari announced that journalists would boycott provincial assemblies' sessions and government events in protest. He also vowed to stage demonstrations outside the Presidency and Prime Minister’s House and challenge the law in court, calling it a threat to civil liberties.
Ansari accused the government of misusing the legislation to suppress journalists under the guise of fighting fake news, claiming that politicians themselves are the biggest sources of misinformation. He demanded that lawmakers spreading falsehoods in parliament should also be held accountable under PECA.
The Senate approved the PECA Amendment Bill on January 28, 2025, despite opposition from journalist organizations. The bill was introduced by Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Defending the bill, Rana Tanveer Hussain stated that its purpose is to regulate social media issues and assured that it is not aimed at suppressing television or newspaper journalists. He also mentioned that opposition parties were consulted through the standing committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate before its passage.
