First arrest made under controversial PECA amendments

A man in Muzaffargarh has become the first to be arrested under the newly-passed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) for spreading “fake news”.

According to reports, Umar Butt was taken into custody following a joint operation by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing and Muzaffargarh police. Butt was arrested for defaming one Sharif's reputation through unsubstantiated claims on social media, the FIA said, adding that further investigation was underway.

Following the passage of the controversial amendments from the Parliament, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the PECA Amendment Bill 2025 into law on January 29. The amendments to the law were passed amid countrywide protests by journalists, fearing it would be used to crack down on freedom of expression in the country.

The federal government says it strengthened PECA to tackle fake news and unlawful online content. The amendment introduced severe penalties, including up to three years in prison and fines of Rs2 million for spreading disinformation or fake news, both of which, critics say, have been “broadly” defined.

Another key provision is the establishment of a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) tasked with regulating social media platforms and removing unlawful content. The DRPA will have powers to investigate complaints, remove content, and enforce digital ethics. The amendments also redefine social media platforms and mandate compliance from social media companies, which may require registering and appointing local representatives.

The first arrest under the amendments comes days after a WhatsApp group administrator in Pakpattan was arrested for an insulting message against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz.

According to an FIR lodged at the Farid Nagar police station, the post shared in his WhatsApp group used “filthy language” for the provincial chief executive.

“The suspect deliberately uploaded an immoral, insulting post on social media, while the group admin, knowing that said post was immoral, offensive and illegal, did not delete it, and rather gave other groups members the opportunity to see the post,” the FIR read, alleging that the admin was trying to “spread chaos among the public”.

 
The suspect and the group admin were nominated in a case under Section 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person) of PECA 2016 and Section 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).