Recent amendments made to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) have been challenged in the Supreme Court by citizen Qayyum Khan, who has argued that the changes violate fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
In his petition, Qayyum Khan contended that parliament lacks the authority to pass laws that infringe upon the basic rights of citizens, emphasizing that the amendments to the PECA Act represent such an overreach. The petitioner has called on the apex court to declare the recent amendments null and void, urging the constitution of a full bench to hear the case.
Beyond challenging the amendments, Khan has requested the court to scrutinize the original PECA law itself, arguing that it too conflicts with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, particularly concerning freedom of expression and opinion.
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Similarly, the Karachi Union of Journalists and the Society of Court Reporters have jointly filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court against the PECA law. Their petition names the federal government, the Ministry of Law, and the Ministry of Information and Technology as respondents.
Describing PECA as a "cruel law," the petitioners argued that it poses a direct threat to press freedom and the public’s right to free speech. They asserted that the Act has been used to suppress dissent and silence critical voices, branding it an attack on freedom of expression.
Last week, the Lahore High Court had rejected a plea to issue a stay order on the immediate implementation of the controversial PECA Amendment Act 2025.
Lahore High Court's Justice Farooq Haider heard journalist Jafar Ban Yar’s petition. The petition made the Election Commission of Pakistan, PTA, and others parties. The petitioner's lawyer took the stand that parliament suspended its rules for the hasty approval of the PECA bill.
According to the lawyer, the controversial PECA had been used as a silent weapon in the past. Adding new punishments to the controversial law will end even the slightest freedom left in the country. The controversial bill was brought about without consulting the relevant stakeholders and journalist organizations, it contended.
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The passage of the amendment bill would severely affect the freedom of expression granted in the Constitution. The petitioner had requested that the court declare the controversial PECA law unconstitutional and declare it null and void. The court should make the actions taken under the controversial PECA amendment law subject to the final decision of the petition, it sought.
The court had rejected the plea seeking a stay on the implementation of various sections of the controversial PECA amendment law 2025. It ruled that it would first hear the positions of the parties and then decide.
