Man booked under PECA for TikTok video of police lifting car

A case has been lodged against a shop owner under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 for inciting public hatred against traffic police by making a malicious and false video go viral on TikTok.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), which includes sub-section 1D of Section 21 of peca, registered at Cantt Police Station on Sunday on the complaint of Traffic Warden Imran Sikandar, the shop owner of Hussain Autos, had uploaded a video on social media wherein the traffic police were lifting a “wrongly parked vehicle” from outside the shop.

As per sub-section 1D of section 21 of PECA, a person who “takes a photograph or makes a video of any person and displays and distributes it without his consent in a matter that harms a person." 

The FIR stated that the complainant was lodged when a video went viral on TikTok from an account named Rizwan Singar. “My colleague Jahanzeb, who was on duty with me, also watched the video. The video is related to yesterday’s incident, in which a car was lifted for wrong parking, and a legal challan was issued for the violation,” the FIR read.

The FIR further noted that the owner of Hussain Autos, whose name is unknown, created a malicious and false video about the incident and posted it on TikTok, adding that the action was done to incite public hatred and provoke people against the police, which is a punishable offence under the PECA Act 2016.

The federal government introduced and passed the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act in January 2025.

The new amendments add Section 26(A) to Peca, which seeks to penalise perpetrators of “fake news” online. It says anyone who intentionally spreads, displays, or transmits false information likely to cause fear, panic, or unrest in society may face up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs2 million, or both.

Earlier, a resident of Mardan was booked under the new PECA 2025 law for allegedly using abusive language against members of the local press club and spreading negative propaganda. 

 
Local police have registered an FIR against Zahid, a resident of Dagai, on the complaint of Mardan Press Club President Riaz Mayar and General Secretary Pervaz Khan Afridi. 

 
Both men alleged that Zahid had used derogatory language and spread negative propaganda against members of the press club by using social media and digital tools. 

 
Last week, the Rawalpindi Police filed another case under the Peca and arrested the accused, Muhammad Rehan, for an inappropriate post on social media. He added that the accused was later shifted to jail.