The Senate on Tuesday passed controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) Bill, 2025, amid a walkout by journalists from the press gallery and protests by the opposition. The amendments adds Section 26(A) to Peca, which seeks to penalise perpetrators of \u201cfake news\u201d 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\u2019 imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs2 million, or both. The bill now awaits the president\u2019s assent to become law. The bill was moved by Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. As the bill was introduced, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, spoke out against it, highlighting that the laws were made to protect people, while the purpose of said bill was \u201cto target a specific political party\u201d. \u201cWhen a new law is introduced, its intent is scrutinised. Whether it\u2019s social media or any other medium, it should operate within specific boundaries,\u201d Faraz said. \u201cThe purpose of this bill is to target a specific political party.\u201d He added: \u201cLaws are made to protect people, not to oppress them. It takes time to craft a law properly.\u201d Faraz appeared to be referring to the manner in which the National Assembly rushed the contentious amendments to Peca last week, which drew opposition protests and triggered a walkout by journalists. PPP members had voiced their support during the voting. Meanwhile, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain replied to the senator after the bill was passed, saying that the bill was neither set in stone, nor was it aimed at journalists. \u201cThis law will not deal with TV newspapers but social media,\u201d he said, adding that it also \u201ccan be improved\u201d. \u201cJournalists have nothing to do with this bill,\u201d he added. According to the report issued by the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, the bill \u201cprimarily seeks to modernise \u2026 the legislative framework for combating cybercrimes in Pakistan\u201d, while the interior secretary emphasised that the bill was written in good faith and aimed to \u201cprotect the general public \u2026 and to make the in-field act more effective to protect people\u2019s rights\u201d. After the committee\u2019s approval, now only the senators have to vote for the bill to be sent to the president who would sign it into law. In Section 26A of the amended law, the term has been explained as any information disseminated by a person that \u201che knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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