KARACHI: Journalist bodies, legal fraternity and human rights organisations on Wednesday agreed to launch a “joint struggle” against the recently passed Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, also known as Peca, and announced that a convention would be held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “draconian law” on March 1.

A consultative meeting convened by the KPC also vowed to use every legal forum to raise their voice against the recently passed law and mobilise the civil society to play its role.

The meeting, co-chaired by KPC president Fazil Jamili and secretary Muhammad Sohail Afzal Khan, was attended by representatives of different journalist and media bodies, bar associations, rights groups, labour organisations, etc.

Participants of the meeting agreed that Peca was a black law that should be immediately annulled.

Journalist bodies, lawyers, rights groups agree to hold convention against ‘black law’ on March 1

They said that the government through Peca had provided protection to “illegal and immoral actions” against freedom of expression.

Even before the approval of the law, authorities under the influence of power had already been targeting journalists, doctors, lawyers, students, teachers, and intellectuals for expressing their views.

The meeting participants decided to organise a convention on March 1 where all affected members of the society would be invited and a future course of action would be outlined.

Speaking on the occasion, former Sindh High Court Bar Association president Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed said that the newly-passed law not only threatened the free press, but also stifled the voice of dissent from every segment of society which believed in freedom of expression.

“I believe that in current situation, one should not pin their hopes on courts for any remedy,” he said. “It’s time to unite every aggrieved or affected stakeholder and launch a joint struggle. Whether they are students, teachers, journalists or labours. It’s everyone’s issue.”

In his opening remarks, the KPC secretary invited suggestions from all participants to devise a joint strategy.

The recently passed law reflected the rapidly diminishing space for democratic norms and debate in the country, he added.

He said that the journalists across the country had rejected the law at the outset and would continue their struggle till its complete withdrawal.

“We will take every step to block the draconian law. We will protest against it on the streets and challenge the ill-conceived law in court, knocking on every door for its withdrawal,” he added.

The KPC president said that the club decided to gather journalist bodies, legal fraternity, human rights activists and members of the civil society to unite under its platform for a joint struggle against the “black law”.

“Initially, the government had promised that our concerns would be heard and our input would be considered before the final draft. But unfortunately, none of those promises were fulfilled, and the bill was passed in haste. We believe that Peca 2025 will be used for arm-twisting against the media and journalists’ community. Now the only way forward is to plan a united struggle to push back this law.”

Other speakers included Karachi Bar Association General Secretary Abdul Rahman Korai, All Pakistan Newspapers Society’s Shahab Zuberi, Anwar Sajdi of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors, leaders of various factions of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists — A. H. Khanzada, Aajiz Jamali, Hamid Rehman and Lubna Jarrar Naqvi — Malka Khan of Aurat Foundation, Home-Based Women Workers Federation Pakistan chairperson Zehra Khan, Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairman Asad Iqbal Butt and former KPC president Saeed Sarbazi.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025