By 
29-01-25
Chiara Bellini
Team Pakistan Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
On Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) organised demonstrations across the country with the cooperation of regional journalist unions to condemn the so-called “black law” (Dawn, 2025). The protests called for the repeal of the amendments to the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025, which has been brought before the Senate for its adoption (Dawn, 2025). Bypassing the police barricades, journalists complained that the new PECA Bill will stifle free speech, as the legislation has already been weaponised to silence political opposition in the past (Dawn, 2025). Journalists gathered in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta calling the Bill a direct attack on freedom of press and on the public’s right to information (Dawn, 2025).
Amnesty International has also shed light on the dangers of this new legislation, which introduced criminal offences against those who spread fake or false information, though framing the provisions in an ambiguous way, leaving room for confusion and, most importantly, abuse (Amnesty International, 2025). It argued that these amendments will tighten the current government’s grip over Pakistan’s already-controlled digital space (Amnesty International, 2025).
Sources and further readings:
Balochistan journalists protest against PECA. (2025, January 29). The Express Tribune. Retrieved on January 29, 2025, from https://tribune.com.pk/story/2525138/balochistan-journalists-protest-against-peca
Journalists demand repeal of Peca changes. (2025, January 29). Dawn. Retrieved on January 29, 2025, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1888360/journalists-demand-repeal-of-peca-changes
Pakistan: Authorities pass bill with sweeping controls on social media. (2025, January 24). Amnesty International. Retrieved on January 29, 2025, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/01/pakistan-authorities-pass-bill-with-sweeping-controls-on-social-media/
Peca amendments: ‘These actions paving way for civilian martial law’. The News International. Retrieved on January 29, 2025, from https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1277364-peca-amendments-these-actions-paving-way-for-civilian-martial-law
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