Dominique Pradalie, the president of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has called for the repeal of the controversial  Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) law, following recent amendments introduced by the government of Pakistan, The News reported on Saturday.    In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, Pradalie highlighted her presence at the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Congress in Islamabad, where the issue was discussed.   

She retweeted a post by a PFUJ member and wrote: "At the PFUJ congress in Islamabad, we asked for abolition of Peca law endangering seriously the journalism in Pakistan".  The amendments, aimed at regulating information dissemination, have reduced the prison sentence for "intentionally disseminating false and fake information" from seven years to three.  They also introduce new definitions, regulatory bodies, and harsher penalties for spreading "false" information. 

The amended Peca law has been criticised by numerous political leaders, journalists and experts, and has been challenged in several different courts across the country.  Additionally, the IFJ's criticism of the amended Peca law comes amid ongoing countrywide protests by journalists over the controversial amendments which they claim threatens press freedom.  During a hunger strike camp outside Islamabad's National Press Club, PFUJ President Afzal Butt said: "We will also call an all-party conference (APC) against Peca law.

The last call will be for a sit-in at Parliament with no return date."  In a separate hunger strike camp outside Lahore Press Club, its President Arshad Ansari said that the protest against Peca law "will continue until the end of this law".  "The government is making law upon law to suppress the truth."  The global journalism body has previously joined in with other journalists' organisations in critiquing the Peca law and the amendments to it. 

In its statement last month, the IFJ said: "The amendments to Pakistan's draconian PECA represent a transparent attempt to further tighten control over digital expression and internet freedom under the guise of curbing misinformation. "By extending government jurisdiction online, broadening censorship powers, and imposing penalties for vaguely defined offences, this legislation threatens journalists, activists, and the public's right to information". The IFJ, the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions, had asked President Asif Ali Zardari to reject the bill at the time.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)