Islamabad: A report published by the Pakistan Human Rights Committee (HRCP) underlined serious defects in the 2025 law on the law on the prevention of electronic crimes (PECA) (amendment) and called the law entirely repealed without accepting a coercive application of the previous iterations of the law of 2016 and 2023.
Produced as part of HRCP Watch Cell’s legislation, the report’s conclusions were presented by digital rights activist Farieha Aziz at a advocacy meeting held in Islamabad on Thursday as part of a project funded by EU Pakistan.
Earlier this year, disputed changes made by the government in the Electronic Crimes Prevention Act (PECA), 2016.
The law comes from new definitions, the creation of regulatory and investigation organizations and more strict sanctions to disseminate “false” information.
Director HRCP Farah Ziaa said that HRCP had noted with alarm the recent wave of repressive laws, in particular those that were lying on civic spaces and being used to suppress dissent and freedom of expression.
Aziz, who is the author of the report, stressed that the law criminalizes waves of “false and false information” with sanctions that can go up to three years’ imprisonment.
It also establishes a powerful regulatory authority, a council for complaints and a court-which are all subject to disproportionate executive control, she said.
Other concerns mentioned in the HRCP report include the conversion of infringements previously lease and not cognizable into incorporated and cognizable offenses, widening the scope of a coercive action.
In addition, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency replaced the Federal Investigation Authority, operating without adequate guarantees, he said.
Journalists present at the HRCP meeting said it was the responsibility of the State to protect the rights of individuals. They asked for the formation of a united front to maintain freedom of expression and information, while demanding the decriminalization of freedom of expression.
The former national legislator of the Balutchistan Balutchistan (BNP-M), Sana Ullah Baloch, identified freedom of expression as an integral part of a strong parliament.
The HRCP co-president, Munizaejahangir, drew attention to hyper-represented connectivity in Balutchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as to the pressure under which journalists in these regions, and Azad Jammu and Cashmire, operated.
USAMAKHILJI and AFTAB ALAM digital rights activists recommended the formation of a national coalition including members of civil society, journalists and human rights defenders to engage with political parties on the rapid climbing of the limits of freedom of expression and opinion.
Supporting this proposal, the member of the HRCP council and former senator Farhatullah Babar also underlined the need to counter disinformation while protecting the broader right to freedom of expression and information.
By concluding the meeting, the vice-president of HRCP Islamabad, Nasreen Azhar, proposed that such a coalition also identifies all these laws in conflict with the constitutional guarantees of fundamental freedoms.