Journalists Protest as NA Approves Jail, Fines Worth Millions Under PECA Law

The National Assembly Thursday passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, [Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025], tabled by Federal Minister for Industries & Production Division Rana Tanveer Hussain in the house. 

The controversial amendment bill was passed amid a walkout by lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and journalists. 

The amendments drafted and approved by the Law Ministry were presented in the National Assembly by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar yesterday. Under the amendments, a new clause, 1A, will establish the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority. The authority’s headquarters will be based in Islamabad, with additional offices in provincial capitals. 

The authority will facilitate social media platforms, ensure the protection and rights of social media users, and oversee the registration of these platforms. 

The authority will also have the power to cancel registrations, set standards, and take disciplinary action against social media platforms violating the PECA Act. It will be authorized to direct relevant institutions to remove illegal content from social media and allow its chairman to immediately block any unlawful material. 

The chairman of the authority will be appointed from individuals holding at least a bachelor’s degree and possessing a minimum of 15 years of experience in a relevant field. The chairman and five other members will serve a five-year term. 

The bill specifies that the chairman and members of the authority will not be allowed to engage in any other business. Additionally, all social media platforms will be required to register with the authority. The authority will also have the power to block content that goes against the ideology of Pakistan or incites citizens to break the law. It will be authorized to block illegal content targeting the armed forces, parliament, or provincial assemblies. 

A Social Media Complaints Council will be established under the amendment, consisting of five members and one ex-officio member. If social media platforms fail to comply with the authority’s directives, the authority will approach a tribunal for further action. 

The Bill also includes the establishment of a Social Media Protection Tribunal. The federal government will set up the tribunal, which will be chaired by a former High Court judge. The tribunal will also include a journalist and a software engineer. Decisions made by the tribunal can be challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan within 60 days. 

The bill proposes strict penalties for spreading fake news, including up to three years in prison or a fine of Rs. 2 million. To investigate illegal activities on social media, the federal government will establish a National Cybercrime Investigation Agency. The agency will be headed by a Director General, appointed for a three-year term. 

The officers and personnel of the authority will have powers equivalent to police officers of the same rank. With the establishment of the new investigative agency, the FIA’s Cybercrime Wing will be dissolved, and all cybercrime-related investigations will be transferred to the new agency.