Participants at a widely attended roundtable organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan urged collective resistance to restrictions on online speech under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, arguing that PECA has a chilling effect on ordinary citizens and journalists.
The session, moderated by Azwar Shakeel, formed part of HRCPs campaign Ten years of PECA ten years of silence and saw calls for a broad civil society coalition to defend digital expression. Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, underlined the need for principled opposition to laws that curtail rights while proposing direct dialogue with authorities to separate reasonable regulation from repression.
Nasir Zaidi, a veteran journalist and HRCP Council member, said the state has long used legal instruments to control narratives rather than safeguard constitutional freedoms and warned that the pattern has continued under PECA. Several journalists described the structural pressures facing the media across provinces.
Akbar Notezai highlighted the fragile economics of newspapers in Balochistan, noting heavy dependence on state advertising that undermines editorial independence and leaves provincial outlets especially vulnerable to coercion.
Matiullah Jan raised concerns that involvement of additional security agencies in PECA cases handled by the FIA risks creating avenues for abuse, and several participants shared accounts of threats and intimidation by enforcement officials that point to corruption and weak accountability.
Legal practitioners including Saqib Bashir and Asad Toor stressed the importance of coordinated, evidence based litigation across multiple courts to challenge PECA provisions, but they emphasised that court action must be complemented by transparent public debate and organised civic resistance.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi lent his voice to the call for resisting laws that restrict press freedom, reinforcing cross sector agreement that defending digital expression is a national priority.
Contributions from Farhatullah Babar, former senator and HRCP Council member, recommended creating pro bono legal teams to pursue due process violations under PECA and urged structured engagement with political parties on the issue. The proposal to publicly identify officials responsible for abusing these laws was endorsed by Tariq Ali of the Rawalpindi Journalists Union.
The roundtable concluded with participants urging sustained coordination between journalists, lawyers and civil society to challenge PECA through strategic litigation, public campaigning and institutional reform, signalling a renewed push to protect digital expression and press freedom in Pakistan. Asad Iqbal Butt is listed as chairperson for the meeting record.
