Senate Committee Orders Withdrawal of 378 Illegal PECA Cases, Warns Against Misuse for Censorship

The Senate Standing Committee on Information, chaired by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, ordered the immediate withdrawal of 378 cases registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) by provincial authorities on Wednesday, declaring them unlawful. The move came during a meeting held to review the law’s implementation, where members voiced strong concerns over the misuse of PECA to stifle dissent and target journalists.

Senator Zafar emphasized that no citizen should face prosecution through illegal means. To ensure compliance, the committee decided to form a sub-committee tasked with monitoring the implementation of this directive.

“If someone commits an offence under the law, they must be prosecuted and punished. But if criticism of government policies — such as highlighting poor flood response — is treated as an offence under PECA, that is an abuse of the law,”
Senator Zafar said, underscoring the need to safeguard free expression.

The Ministry of Interior informed the committee that none of the registered PECA cases involved anti-state activities. Instead, the majority were linked to hate crimes, including incitement and sectarian violence. Senator Zafar called for clearer definitions of what constitutes a genuine national security threat, warning against using the law as a tool for censorship.

Addressing complaints from journalists, Senator Zafar described the press as the “fourth pillar of democracy” and urged ethical reporting. The committee reviewed the case of journalist Tariq Ali Work, with Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar confirming that the officer involved had been suspended and the matter resolved amicably after meetings with journalists. The committee also proposed forming a coordination body to address grievances raised by journalists. Officials confirmed that 19 PECA cases had been filed in Islamabad, none of which involved journalists.

Officials reported that 372 cases were unlawfully registered by provincial authorities after recent amendments barred them from filing PECA cases, transferring jurisdiction to federal agencies. “These cases must be withdrawn immediately,” Senator Zafar directed, while announcing the formation of a sub-committee to handle the fallout. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) reported registering 1,214 cases nationwide, including 10 against journalists, 611 related to financial fraud, and 320 concerning harassment.

Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui highlighted a financial scam where his name was misused to defraud nine members of the National Assembly. Despite four formal complaints, no satisfactory action had been taken. Officials revealed that Rs. 1.3 million had been recovered in this case, with four arrests made, while Rs. 10 million had been retrieved in WhatsApp-related hacking cases over five months. Senator Pervaiz Rashid disclosed receiving harassment and threats after a Senate speech, expressing frustration over the lack of response to his complaint.

The committee was informed that the Cabinet has approved rules for the upcoming Social Media Regulatory Authority, with recruitment set to begin soon. In a separate matter, members unanimously recommended registering an FIR against a state television anchor for broadcasting a hateful vlog targeting the Sindhi community.

The committee also requested detailed figures on federal advertisement spending in print and electronic media from March 5, 2024, to the present, to be presented in the next session. Consideration of the Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Afnanullah, was deferred to the next meeting.

The meeting was attended by Senators Sarmad Ali, Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui, Pervaiz Rashid, Abdul Shakoor Khan, Jan Muhammad, Syed Waqar Mehdi, and Faisal Javed, along with Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar.

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