ISLAMABAD: The controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025 is all set to become a law — following its passage from the upper house of the Parliament on Tuesday — amidst continued protests from the opposition legislators as well as the journalists.

Like the previous two sessions, the third consecutive Senate meeting remained chaotic, as the treasury side moved the bill in the house.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Law Minister Azam Tarar, who also holds the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs Minister, apparently refrained from presenting the bill.

Tarar normally presents the government bill(s) in the absence of the minister(s) concerned. Instead, Industries Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain presented the PECA (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the absence of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

As soon as the bill was presented, the opposition senators started chanting slogans against the legislative draft. The journalists in the Senate press gallery staged a walkout.

The opposition lawmakers tore apart the copies of the bill and circled the desk of Deputy Chairman Senate Syedaal Khan, who was chairing the session.

The opposition lawmakers, including Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, said, the bill aims to strangulate the freedom of speech. The opposition was not consulted over this bill, Faraz added.

The industries minister said the bill does not deal with newspapers and television channels. “This bill is about social media—the journalists have nothing to do with it,” he argued.

“This bill is not a Quranic verse — so there is always a room for improvement,” he added.

Already passed by the National Assembly, the bill finally got Senate’s nod by majority vote. It now requires President Asif Ali Zardari’s final yet ceremonial assent to become a law.

The PECA (Amendment) Bill 2025 hands down a punishment of up to three years, and fine up to two million rupees, on anyone found involved in spreading fake information online.

“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe 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 shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the bill reads.

The proposed law provides for the establishment of bodies like Social Protection and Regulatory Authority, Cybercrime Investigation Agency and Social Media Protection Tribunal.

According to the bill, the Authority shall have the power to issue directions to a social media platforms for removal or blocking of online content, if such online content: (a) is against the ideology of Pakistan (b) incites the public to violate the law, take the law in own hands, with a view to coerce, intimidate or terrorise pubic, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions (c) incites public or section of public to cause damage to governmental or private property (d) coerce or intimidate public or section of public and thereby preventing them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupts civic life (e) incites hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic basis to stir up violence or cause internal disturbance (f) contains anything obscene or pornographic in contravention of any applicable law (g) is known to be fake or false or there exist sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be fake or false beyond a reasonable doubt (h) contains aspersions against any person including members of judiciary, armed forces, Parliament or a provincial assembly or (i) promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions.

Apart from that, the Senate passed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025, presented by the law minister. The bill, the minister said, aims to digitize the “whole system to align with the modern day requirements.”

The Senate stands prorogued.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025