LAHORE: Human rights org­a­nisations continue to express concerns over the recently proposed changes to the country’s cybercrime laws, calling the provisions “vague and ambiguous”, which would further stifle the freedom of speech.

The bill to amend the Preve­ntion of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) was presented in the Sen­ate on Friday, following approval from the National Assembly.

If the Senate passes the ame­n­­­dments, they would become law.

In a statement, Amnesty Inter­national’s South Asia office said the provisions, if enacted into law, could “further tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape”.

Say amendments would increase state control on digital liberties

“The latest amendment to the draconian Prevention of Electro­nic Crimes Act (Peca) by the Na­­tional Assembly will further ti­­g­hten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape, if passed by both houses of Parliament,” said Babu Ram Pant, the organisation’s deputy regional director of campaigns.

The amendment criminalised the propagation of “false and fake information” with a maximum penalty of three years with a fine, but the definition of what constituted misinformation remained “vague and ambiguous”, the agency added.

The government has historically used Peca “to silence dissent”, the statement said, adding the new offence will “chill what little is left of the right to online expression in the country”.

Amnesty International said the provisions would expand the powers of Pakistan Telecom­m­u­nications Authority through the newly created Social Media Reg­ulation and Protection Authority.

“These provisions grant authorities power to block and remove content based on vague criteria, which will violate the right to freedom of expression…”

The organisation called the amendments another step towards “intrusive digital surveillance” without any human rights safeguards.

Amnesty International sought immediate withdrawal of the bill and called for a “meaningful consultative process” with civil society to amend Peca in line with international human rights law.

HRCP expresses concern

The Human Rights Commis­sion of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed similar apprehensions over the possible misuse of the law by the state.

“Given the state’s poor record on protecting freedom of digital expression, the bill, if it becomes law, is likely to become yet another means of targeting political workers, human rights defenders, journalists and dissidents…,” HRCP said on Saturday.

The law, HRCP said, does not “satisfactorily define” what constituted ‘fake news’ and instead refers to “vague outcomes such as public ‘fear, panic or disorder or unrest’”.

The prescribed punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment was “excessive”.

The four new authorities to regulate digital content envisaged in the law would impose “disproportionate multi-layered controls” that will have a “chilling effect on freedom of expression and opinion”.

Digital freedoms in Pakistan were already “over-regulated”, the HRCP said, adding the bill must be debated openly and extensively in the Senate before it proceeds any further.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2025