In Pakistan, journalists’ pens increasingly feel less like tools for truth and more like weapons turned against them. The controversial amendments made to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in 2025 have transformed a law originally designed to protect against digital threats into a mechanism for silencing independent journalism. Reporters across the country—especially those working online—face arrests, harassment, and constant surveillance. From prominent news anchors in major cities to rural stringers in remote areas, the chilling effect of PECA has spread widely, raising questions about freedom of expression, legal overreach, and the fragile future of press liberty in a democracy under strain.

Harmeet Singh, a Sikh journalist and anchorperson, was among more than 150 individuals charged by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in December 2024 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. The charges stemmed from accusations of “spreading false narratives” against state institutions during PTI-led protests in Islamabad. “Journalism is not a crime,” Singh said, “but the way PECA is being used, it feels like one. My arrest was an attempt to silence not just me, but many others who dare to report the truth.” Asif Bashir Chaudhry, General Secretary of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), also faced charges. “The government is using PECA as a weapon to suppress independent journalism. Journalists are being silenced under vague and broad legal provisions,” he said. Their warrants cited the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act—the same cybercrime law originally designed to combat online harassment. These cases exemplify how a cybercrime framework has morphed from a tool against digital offenses into a mechanism for policing speech.

PECA’s problematic foundation goes back to its enactment in 2016, when it was meant to safeguard against digital crimes such as hacking, identity theft, and online abuse. Digital rights organizations like Bolo Bhi and the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) were among the first to raise alarms about its vague language. “Even before the amendments, PECA’s loose definitions allowed for censorship and arbitrary arrests,” said Usama Khilji, Director at Bolo Bhi. “Terms like ‘false information’ and ‘public mischief’........

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