ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday signed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act Bill 2025 despite serious concerns by the journalist fraternity and opposition.

“In addition to the PECA amendment bill, President Zardari also signed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025, a significant move towards enhancing Pakistan’s digital infrastructure,” the press release issued by the President House said.

The president also signed the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks to strengthen the commission’s role in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment.

The development came after the Parliamentary Reporters’ Association (PRA) claimed that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has raised concerns of journalists to President Asif Ali Zardari.

The signing of the PECA amendment bill came a day after the Senate passed amendments to the controversial bill, triggering protests across the country.

Earlier today, the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025 was challenged before the Lahore High Court, requesting to declare it against the right of freedom of speech.

Journalist Jafar Bin Yaar filed the petition through his lawyer and named the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and others as respondents.

The amendments, titled the Electronic Crimes Prevention (Amendment) Act 2025, propose stringent penalties, including up to three years in prison and fines of Rs 2 million for spreading fake news or disinformation.

Under the amended law, a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) will be established with the power to regulate social media and online platforms.

The DRPA will be empowered to block or remove unlawful content from social media platforms.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts