ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the journalists bodies condemned and disapproved the PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025, considering it a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution
A consultative meeting was held on Monday in the Supreme Court Building which was organised by the SCBA. A large number of senior journalists and Bar representatives attended the meeting to discuss “Media Under Threat: Challenges Faced by Media Personnel Post-PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025.”
The meeting was chaired by Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, president SCBA, which unanimously passed resolutions that freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy and must be safeguarded against all forms of coercion.
They condemned and disapproved the PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025, being defective legislation, considering it a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.
It held that the PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025, infringes upon the rights of media personnel as protected under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), adopted by the United Nations and to which Pakistan is signatory. The meeting asserted that the amendments to the PECA Act, 2025, contravene fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution and violate the principles of natural justice, including due process and the right to a fair trial under Articles 4, 9, and 10-A of the Constitution.
It called upon the government to repeal the amendments to the PECA Act, and urges an immediate end to restrictions on independent journalism.
The meeting found the definition of certain clauses ambiguous and not expressly defined by the legislature. Words and phrases such as “false” and “fake” lack clear definitions. Similarly, the term “any person/ individual” has a broad interpretation and should be limited to the aggrieved person or victim. Additionally, the definition of the place of occurrence is unclear which could lead to registration of numerous FIRs on different places against single occurrence. Furthermore, tribunals should be entirely free from executive influence.
The meeting acknowledged that the media as the fourth pillar of the state and reaffirms its strong support for independent journalism and the protection of media personnel. It stresses that any attempt to curtail media freedom threatens democratic values and transparency.
It asserted that laws governing cybercrime and media regulation must be in line with constitutional protections and democratic norms and international covenants to which Pakistan is signatory.
The meeting expressed concern over increasing censorship in digital spaces, including social media crackdowns and content regulation policies that limit free speech, deformation laws and civil rights.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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