While opposition parties and the journalism community are outraged by the adoption of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) (Amendment) Bill 2025, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas has called the action totalitarian and undemocratic.
“Press censorship goes against democratic principles. Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas stated on the news show “Pakistan” that these actions are moving us closer to civilian martial law.
The government claims that the revisions, which easily passed both the National Assembly and the Senate, are intended to crack down on those who disseminate false information and fake news on social media.
The proposed bill, according to Abbas, is very similar to the one that the previous administration tried to enact.
Peca was introduced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) administration in 2016, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government succeeded it.
