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Pakistan Press Foundation

PPF alarmed by passage of PECA Amendment without prior stakeholder consultation; lack of clarity and consensus raises questions about intent and possibility of misuse

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is alarmed by the Pakistan government’s passage of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill, 2025 (PECA) without prior stakeholder consultation and a lack of clarity on the law and the bodies formed under it. This lack of clarity and consensus raises questions about the intent and the possibility of misuse of […]


Journalists Across Pakistan Observe ‘Black Day’ to Protest PECA Amendments 2025

Pakistan Press Foundation

On January 31, journalists across Pakistan staged widespread protests against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Act 2025 and observed a “black day.” The protests were held in all provinces of the country. On January 29, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the PECA Amendment Bill 2025 into law despite widespread backlash from political parties, journalist […]


Govt Defends PECA Amendments; Aim to Tackle Fake News and Damage Caused by Social Media

Pakistan Press Foundation

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has defended the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, stating that the amendments are aimed at tackling fake news and addressing the damage caused by social media. Speaking as the chief guest at the oath-taking ceremony of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Employees Union on February 2, […]


Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Announces Financial Support Package for Peshawar Press Club

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur announced a financial assistance package for journalists, including a one-time grant of Rs. 50 million for the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) and an increase in the Journalists’ Welfare Endowment Fund from Rs. 128 million to Rs. 200 million. The announcement was made during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly […]


LHC Declines Plea to Suspend PECA Amendments, Seeks Responses from Respondents

Pakistan Press Foundation

On January 31, the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected a request for the immediate suspension of the implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025 (PECA). While issuing notices to the concerned parties and requesting their response within three weeks, the court said that they would make a decision after hearing the arguments of all parties. […]


PTA Warns of Critical Google Chrome Security Flaws, Urges Immediate Update to Prevent Cyber Attacks

Pakistan Press Foundation

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an advisory calling on users to update their Google Chrome browsers immediately following the detection of two critical security flaws. These vulnerabilities affect all versions of Chrome before the latest security patch and could allow remote attackers to take control of targeted systems. The first security flaw, CVE-2024-4671, allows attackers […]


Democratic Group Sweeps Haripur Press Club Elections, Claims All Key Positions

Democratic Group Sweeps Haripur Press Club Elections, Claims All Key Positions The Democratic Group won all key positions in the Haripur Press Club elections for the 2024-26 term, securing a sweeping victory in the polls held on January 29. The elections were conducted under the supervision of the Election Tribunal following orders from the local […]


Karachi Bar Association Rejects Regressive Amendments to PECA

Pakistan Press Foundation

On January 28, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) rejected the “regressive amendments” to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, calling them an attack on fundamental freedoms, particularly free expression and judicial independence. Earlier in the day, the Senate passed the controversial Peca Amendment Bill 2025 which had been earlier approved by the National Assembly on […]


President Zardari Signs PECA Amendment Bill Into Law Amid Journalists’ Protests

Pakistan Press Foundation

President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025 (PECA) into law on January 29 despite strong opposition from journalists and media bodies. A press release from the presidency confirmed that along with PECA amendment bill, the president signed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill and the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill. The amendments, approved by the […]


Governor Punjab Says PPP Won’t Support Any Legislation That Curtails Press Freedom

Pakistan Press Foundation

On January 28, Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan expressed concerns over amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and its implications for journalists, asserting that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would not support any legislation that curtails press freedom.  Speaking to senior PPP leaders, including Imtiaz Safdar, Azizur Rehman Chan, Naveed Cheema, […]


Senate Passes PECA Amendment and Digital Nation Pakistan Bill Amid Protests and Journalist Walkout

Pakistan Press Foundation

Amid opposition protests and a walkout by journalists from the press gallery, on January 28, the Senate passed the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) Amendment Bill, 2025, and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024. Both bills had been passed earlier by the National Assembly on January 23 and now await the president’s assent to become law. […]


Renowned Journalist Sheikh Ali Muhammad Remembered on Death Anniversary

In a tribute to the renowned journalist Sheikh Ali Muhammad, Bazm-e-Rooh Rihan organized a commemorative event as part of its ongoing series of literary sessions. The event, held on his death anniversary, was presided over by distinguished writer Qazi Khadim, with Taj Joyo and Saleem Channa as chief guests. The session featured notable speakers, including Qazi Munawar, […]


KP Assembly Rejects PECA Amendments and Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024 as Journalists Protests Against ‘Oppressive Laws’

Pakistan Press Foundation

On January 24, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a unanimous resolution rejecting amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024. Led by Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Kashifuddin Syed, Peshawar Press Club President M. Riaz, and Peshawar Reporters Association (PRA) President Gulzar Muhammad Khan, journalists staged a walkout […]


Pakpattan Police Book Two for Offensive Social Media Post Against CM Maryam Nawaz

On January 24, Pakpattan police registered a case against two individuals accused of posting and sharing “unethical, derogatory, offensive and dirty language” on social media against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The case was lodged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca) and Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The action […]


NTISB Issues Cybersecurity Advisory on Risky Browser Extensions

The National Telecom and Information Technology Security Board (NTISB) on January 26 issued a cybersecurity advisory warning users in Pakistan about the dangers of using certain browser extensions that have been compromised by hackers to steal personal data. The advisory highlights that hackers are exploiting popular tools such as ChatGPT-4, Gemini for Chrome, Bard AI Chat Extension, VPNCity, […]