HRCP Demands Immediate Repeal of Controversial Cyber Law Amendments

HRCP Demands Immediate Repeal of Controversial Cyber Law Amendments
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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for the complete abolition of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, denouncing it as a threat to constitutional freedoms, Dawn E-Paper reported.

At an EU-funded advocacy meeting, digital rights activist Farieha Aziz presented a report exposing the law’s draconian provisions, including prison terms for vaguely defined “fake news” and unchecked executive powers over new regulatory bodies.

Journalists and lawmakers highlighted alarming enforcement tactics, such as the freezing of critic Asad Ali Toor’s family bank accounts—described by HRCP’s Munizae Jahangir as “economic terrorism.” The report also documented disproportionate internet restrictions in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, stifling dissent in marginalized regions.

Participants urged forming a national coalition to challenge repressive laws, emphasizing the need to decriminalize free speech and restore bailable provisions for minor offenses. HRCP concluded that no version of PECA—whether the 2025 amendments or earlier iterations from 2016–2023—should remain in force, labeling them incompatible with democratic principles.