Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Act had been designed to prevent the misuse of social media.

Expressing his thoughts in line with the PECA Act, he emphasised that authorities had decided to counter the damage caused by harmful content circulating on digital platforms.

“The PECA law was enacted to curb the wrongful use of social media,” Tarar asserted.

He said: "The legislation specifically aimed to tackle the spread of fake news and deepfake content, which posed significant risks.

“A tribunal has been formed, which includes a journalist and an IT professional,” he revealed.

While defending the implementation of PECA, Tarar said that every law required a structured enforcement mechanism.

“Whenever something is introduced, a procedure is developed to ensure its implementation,” he maintained.

Tarar described the PECA Act as a well-structured law, insisting that it contained no objectionable provisions.

The federal minister pointed out that regulations on social media existed worldwide. “Across the globe, laws govern social media platforms,” he stated.

Tarar noted that the protests in Pakistan had focused on the law itself rather than its specific clauses.

Citing international concerns, Tarar referred to the World Economic Forum’s findings. “The forum declared fake news spread through social media as the greatest threat,” he stated.

He maintained: "The global institutions had already legislated on the matter, questioning why PECA was being perceived negatively in Pakistan."