Journalists describe amendments to PECA law as ‘direct assault on Press freedom’

ISLAMABAD: Journalists on Friday staged protest against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Act 2025, calling it a direct assault on press freedom and free speech.

A large number of journalists, under the banner of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), marched from the National Press Club to D-Chowk.

The protesting journalists were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the amendment in PECA Act.

The protest was also joined by President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Dominique Pradalié, who also attended the protest as a special guest.

PFUJ president Afzal Butt, while speaking on the occasion, said that “freedom of press movement has started and we are on the street as well as we have moved court to fight a legal battle against the ‘black law’.”

The PFUJ moved the court with the hope that the court would strike down the provision that conflicted with human rights, he said.

He said “we have informed the court that this law is against the spirit of the constitution and personal and civil liberties. We were not against regulations; however, no one would be permitted to attack the freedom of expression in the country,” he said.

They threatened, “if the government failed to take back the law, they would stage country-wide protests.”

It was the responsibility of the government to take all stakeholders into confidence before they pass this bill.

Heavy contingents of police personnel were deployed on the occasion, to avert any untoward incident.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025