ISLAMABAD: A day after its passage from the National Assembly, the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025 landed in the upper house of the Parliament, and referred to the relevant committee amidst strong protest by the opposition lawmakers and journalists on Friday.
The house that met for less than 15 minutes saw a furore after Law Minister Azam Tarar moved the bill on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, following the latter’s absence from the house.
The PECA (Amendment) Bill 2025 is under massive public criticism for allegedly aiming to strangulate the freedom of speech mainly by targeting the social media with excessive curbs.
National Assembly passes controversial Peca amendment bill
Soon after Deputy Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan, who was presiding over the session, allowed that the bill be moved, opposition lawmakers started protesting; chanting slogans against the bill. Journalists staged a walkout from the Senate press gallery.
While the government was all set to get the bill passed by the house, the deputy chairman Senate, amidst protests, referred the bill to the relevant committee with the direction to present its report in three days.
The bill hands a punishment of up to three years, and fine up to two million rupees, on anyone found involved in spreading fake information online.
“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the bill reads.
The proposed law provides for the establishment of bodies like Social Protection and Regulatory Authority, Cybercrime Investigation Agency and Social Media Protection Tribunal.
According to the bill, the Authority shall have the power to issue directions to a social media platforms for removal or blocking of online content, if such online content:
(a) is against the ideology of Pakistan
(b) incites the public to violate the law, take the law in own hands, with a view to coerce, intimidate or terrorise pubic, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions
(c) incites public or section of public to cause damage to governmental or private property
(d) coerce or intimidate public or section of public and thereby preventing them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupts civic life
(e) incites hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic basis to stir up violence or cause internal disturbance
(f) contains anything obscene or pornographic in contravention of any applicable law
(g) is known to be fake or false or there exist sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be fake or false beyond a reasonable doubt
(h) contains aspersions against any person including members of judiciary, armed forces, Parliament or a provincial assembly or
(i) promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions.
Meanwhile, three other bills were moved in the house and referred to the relevant committees.
Apart from that, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 was laid in the house. The Senate was adjourned till Monday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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