On Tuesday, the Senate is established in the amendments of Greenlight to the Law on the Prevention of the Electronic Crime Law (PCA), 2025, while the opposition and journalists strongly criticized the changes in the laws of cyber crimes of the country.
The National Assembly ran the controversial amendments to Peca last week in the midst of protests, with PTI legislators and journalists leaving the procedures. The members of the PPP had expressed their support during the vote. The bill is now with the Senate after being sent to the Permanent Interior Committee, which also approved it yesterday, essentially cleaning the last obstacle to become law.
The contentious provision in the bill, Section 26 (A), at Peque, seeks to penalize the perpetrators of “false news” online. He says that anyone who intentionally spreads, shows or transmits false information that can cause fear, panic or disturbances in society can face up to three years in prison, a fine of up to RS2 million, or both.
The Senate is scheduled to meet at 11:30 am, and the orders of the day for the Chamber have already been issued by the respective Secretariat.
According to the agenda of the day, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will move the bill “even more to amend the 2016 Electronic Crime Prevention Law [The
Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025]As reported by the Permanent Committee, you take into account at the same time. ”
The Law 2025 of the Digital Nation of Pakistan, whose objective is to create a digital identity for citizens, is also included in the agenda.
According to the report issued by the Interior Committee of the Permanent Senate, the bill “mainly seeks to modernize … the legislative framework to combat cyber crimes in Pakistan”, while the Secretary of the Interior emphasized that the bill was written in good faith and aimed to “protect” protect “protect general public … and make the most effective intermediate law to protect people’s rights.”
After the approval of the committee, now only senators have to vote to send the bill to the president who would sign it.
In section 26 of the amended law, the term has been explained as any information disseminated by a person who “knows or has reasons to believe that they are false or false and probably cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder in general , public or society “.
Separately, the National Assembly had also approved “the bill of Pakistan of the Digital Nation, 2024”, which was transferred by the Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The bill aims to create a digital identity for citizens, to centralize social, economic and governance data, and provide the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, allowing a digital society, digital economy and digital governance.
Journalists express concerns, the government assaults
A press release from the Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan (PFUJ) today announced a national protest at 3pm.
“We had appealed to the Government of Pakistan and elected representatives to consult all those interested before approveing the amendments of the Pakistan Senate … we reject these amendments, as they go against the spirit of the Constitution.
“Therefore, the PFUJ urges and appeals to the entire union of journalists to organize strong protests at 3pm tomorrow in their respective press clubs, demonstrating unity and sending a strong message of rejection of the government and the authorities behind these amendments, “said the press release.
More to follow
