ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Monday passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid objections raised by journalist organizations and lawmakers from opposition parties.
The committee which met with Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman in the chair passed “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025” moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. The chairman of the committee also raised objections over journalists’ bodies not presenting their recommendations in writing.
Senator Rehman said that journalist bodies should have presented their recommendations in writing. To this, a representative of the anchors association said that we have not been granted time to submit the recommendations regarding the bill. The bill will result in the creation of more problems instead of improvement, he said.
Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui said that law is not mandating in this country to handcuff anyone. I was arrested under the tenancy act, he said, adding that it would have been better if the journalist community had been consulted before the passage of the bill. If the law was used to suppress journalists, then we would stand with the journalists, he said.
JUI-F senator Kamran Murtaza, while opposing the PECA amendment bill, said that why is this bill being passed in such haste. There are many weaknesses in this bill, he said, adding that the fake news has not been properly explained in the bill, how will it be decided what is fake news, the one who lays the foundation for such a controversial law falls under its ambit.
The chairman said that he also remained an affectee of fake news. The Ministry of Interior secretary said that this law is for the protection of the people. The government has also brought some amendments so that this law can be implemented better. He requested that the bill passed by the National Assembly be passed in the same way.
It is pertinent to mention here that after being approved by the National Assembly by a majority vote, the next PECA Amendment Bill, 2025, was presented in the Senate the next day, which the chairman of the Senate sent to the Standing Committee.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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