On January 29, 2025, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025 into law, despite significant opposition from media organizations and civil society groups. The legislation grants the government extensive powers to regulate social media content, including the authority to imprison individuals for up to three years and impose fines for disseminating "false or fake" information.
The bill establishes the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), which is empowered to block unlawful content targeting state institutions and to take action against material promoting terrorism or violence. Critics argue that the law could be used to suppress freedom of speech and press freedom, with the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) planning nationwide protests if the law is not repealed.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to which President Zardari belongs, had previously expressed solidarity with protesting journalists, raising questions about the party's stance on the legislation. Despite these concerns, the bill received the president's assent, making it effective immediately.
This development has sparked widespread debate about the balance between combating disinformation and protecting fundamental rights in Paki
stan.
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