Balochistan Minister Files PECA Case Against Journalists, Activists

By Syed Talat Abbas Shah 

A controversial First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the Bero Tehsil of Hub district, naming several journalists, a retired police officer, and other individuals, accusing them of running a “media campaign” against Balochistan Minister Ali Hasan Zehri.
The case, filed under the stringent Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), was registered at the behest of the minister’s manager, Ali Asghar Zehri, who is also an attorney. The complaint names prominent figures including journalist Farhan Malik, journalist Usama Altaf, Abad Chairman Hasan Bakhshi, and retired Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar, among others.
According to the text of the FIR, the accused individuals are alleged to have used the YouTube program “System” on Raftar Channel to launch a concerted media campaign against the elected representative. The FIR categorizes this alleged activity as a “serious crime.”
Other individuals named in the document include Syed Mumtaz Alam, Syed Kazim Rizvi, Farid Dallari, and several unnamed persons.
The use of the PECA Act in this instance has immediately drawn sharp criticism from legal experts, who question its legality and application. Senior lawyer and Treasurer of the Karachi Bar Association, Amer Haseeb Panhwar, stated unequivocally that the police’s action is unlawful.
“It is illegal for the police to register a case under the PECA Act,” Panhwar asserted, highlighting a ongoing legal debate surrounding the act’s misuse to stifle dissent.
In a strong show of solidarity, Panhwar further announced that the legal community would stand by the accused. “The Karachi Bar Association will provide complete legal support to our journalist brothers,” he declared, signaling a potential legal battle over the case’s validity.
This development has raised significant concerns about press freedom and the use of cybercrime laws to target journalists and critics in Pakistan, marking another flashpoint in the tense relationship between the state and the media.

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