The fast growth of internet accessibility in Pakistan, in which the majority of the population has mobile broadband coverage, was assumed to lead to the democratization of access to justice. As for victims of gender-based violence, online platforms represent an outstanding opportunity to overcome traditional barriers set by patriarchy and announce their stories publicly. However, legal distortion has occurred. The legal system and judicial activity in Pakistan have turned the cybercrime and defamation legislative frameworks into a weapon of legal revenge. Using the so-called SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), perpetrators have been diverting the judiciary from dealing with sexual harassment cases to punishing the survivors for their stories. This article presents examples of how the laws aimed at protecting online environments are being manipulated to suppress victims through the analysis of constitutional disputes, changes in the police system, and important court rulings till 2026.

The government of Pakistan maintains a tight grip on online conversations through a mixed set of civil and criminal regulations. Introduced in 2016 after the Peshawar Army Public School attack, PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) was originally devised as a measure for national security. Gradually, its application shifted towards facilitating the protection of public personalities and people who are charged with malpractices. Section 20 of PECA penalizes spreading known false information intentionally if such an act damages a person’s reputation or invades their personal privacy.

The PECA Amendment Act of 2025 brought the growth of digital law enforcement as it instituted four bodies of regulated enforcement, such as the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Social Media Protection Agency. Section 26-A of the 2025 Act made it........

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