LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the federal government and other respondents on another petition by a journalists’ body challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca) 2025.

Justice Farooq Haider heard the petition filed by the Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ-Workers) President Ziaullah Khan Niazi through his counsel Barrister Haris Bhatti.

The counsel argued that the impugned law infringes upon multiple fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, including freedom of expression, due process, and judicial independence.

He pointed out that ambiguous terms such as “ideology of Pakistan,” “aspersion,” and “harmful,” mentioned in the Peca grants the authorities excessive discretion to criminalise speech, including satire, criticism, and factual reporting.

He argued that the Peca provisions violate Articles 19 (freedom of expression) and 10A (right to a fair trial) guaranteed in the Constitution.

The counsel stated that under the amended act unbridled powers had been granted to the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), undermining due process and fundamental rights.

He asked the court to declare the impugned amendments unconstitutional and void for being in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution.

Additionally, the petitioner’s counsel called for judicial oversight and due process in matters concerning content regulation and data access, ensuring that executive powers were not misused to curb freedom of expression and privacy rights.

The judge directed a law officer to furnish replies on behalf of the respondents and announced that the petition would be heard along with other pending similar cases.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025