Senate approves PECA amendments amid journalists’ walkout

The Senate has approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) Bill 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024 amid a walkout by journalists and protests from opposition members.

Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain presented the PECA bill on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Hussain stated that the PECA bill was aimed at addressing issues on social media, assuring that it was not directed against journalists from television or newspapers.

The minister said the opposition was also engaged on the bill through the standing committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate.

Opposition Leader in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, said it was their responsibility to legislate, but the law was passed without consultation. “They should have consulted those concerned with the PECA Amendment bill,” he added.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) member Kamran Murtaza said the standing committee report presented in the house was incomplete, as his proposed amendments to the PECA Act were neither rejected nor accepted by the committee.

Meanwhile, the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, tabled by Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, was approved clause by clause. Tarar stated that the bill aimed to digitise the entire system to align with modern-day requirements.

Parliamentary journalists, along with the opposition, staged a walkout from the Senate gallery as the PECA bill was presented for approval.

The proposed PECA Bill 2025 introduces severe penalties, including up to three years in prison and fines of Rs. 2 million for spreading disinformation and fake news.

A key provision of the bill is the establishment of a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), tasked with regulating social media platforms and removing unlawful content.

While supporters believe the amendments are essential to combat fake news and hate speech, critics warn of potential censorship and misuse.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt declared it a "black day" for Pakistan’s democracy, media, citizens’ freedoms, and freedom of speech.

“This day will always be remembered as a black day, and the parties who played their part in getting this black law approved—we will keep reminding them of this [….] We have already announced protests from the PFUJ and Joint Action Committee (JAC), and today they have pushed us to protest even more,” he said.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman came to the press lounge to show solidarity with the journalists. “We support the journalists' amendments. Stakeholders were not consulted on the PECA Act,” the senator said.