ISLAMABAD: Omar Ayub Khan, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has rejected the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), warning that it will be used as a weapon.
A delegation from the Parliamentary Reporters Association Pakistan (PRAP), led by President Usman Khan, met with Omar Ayub in Islamabad.
During the meeting, Ayub referred to the PECA amendment bill as a harsh and oppressive law designed to curb freedom of speech. He pledged to strongly oppose the bill in parliament, adding that the opposition alliance would fight against this unconstitutional measure.
He emphasized that the amendments would further restrict media freedom in Pakistan.
Read More: National Assembly Passes PECA Amendment Bill, 2025
The National Assembly has passed the PECA Amendment Bill, 2025, a controversial piece of legislation intended to regulate social media in Pakistan.
The bill, introduced by Federal Minister Rana Tanveer, proposes the creation of a new authority to oversee social media platforms and protect users’ rights.
This authority would be responsible for ensuring the compliance of social media platforms, safeguarding users’ rights, and regulating their activities. It will also have the power to take action against platforms that breach the law, direct relevant bodies to remove illegal content, and manage the registration and deregistration of social media platforms.
The authority will consist of nine members, including the Secretary of the Interior, Chairman of PTA, and Chairman of PEMRA as ex-officio members. The chairman and five other members will be appointed for five-year terms.
Notably, the government has decided to include journalists in the authority, with five members possessing at least 10 years of experience in journalism, software engineering, law, social media, or IT.
