Govt to Address Concerns of Journalists Over PECA Amendment Ordinance 2022

The Federal Government is open to changing the recently enacted Presidential Order which amended the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, Federal Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, has revealed.

Speaking during a talk show at a local news channel last night, the Minister said that the Federal Government has given Punjab Assembly’s Speaker, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the mandate to hold talks with a joint committee consisting of major journalist bodies and address their concerns regarding the amendments.

The joint committee comprises of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND, Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), and All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS).

The journalist bodies had rejected the ordinance and termed it as ‘draconian,’ demanding the government to revoke the amendments to safeguard the right of freedom of expression enshrined in the 1973 Constitution.

Responding to this allegation, the Minister said that journalist bodies are wrong in terming the amendments as draconian. He added that there is no concept of a fair trial and due process in draconian states while there are courts in Pakistan to ensure a fair trial and due process.

It must be recalled that PFUJ had moved to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the PECA Amendment Ordinance 2022, which declared the dissemination of fake news as a non-bailable offense.

In a brief verdict, Chief Justice IHC, Justice Athar Minallah, had barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting individuals under the amended section 20 of PECA 2016 for an indefinite period of time.