Senate committee rules 372 PECA cases illegal, orders immediate withdrawal

• Panel says no citizen should be prosecuted unlawfully under PECA.
• Senators raise concerns over fraud, threats, and hate speech.
• Seek govt ad spend data; motion picture bill deferred.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Wednesday, reviewed the implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), as its chairman, Barrister Ali Zafar, ruled that 372 cases registered under PECA by provincial authorities were illegal and directed that they be withdrawn immediately.

Ali Zafar, who presided over the meeting here, emphasised that no citizen should be prosecuted unlawfully after the amendment made to the law. To ensure compliance, the committee constituted a sub-committee to oversee the implementation of this ruling.

He told The News that the names of the sub-committee would be finalised in view of the sensitivity of the matter.

Commenting on the misuse of PECA, Senator Zafar stressed that the law must not be used as a tool for censorship against journalists or the public. Referring to a report submitted before the committee, he noted that out of hundreds of cases registered under the category of “anti-state,” clarity was needed as to which genuinely concerned national security and which amounted to censorship.

“If someone commits an offence under the law, he should be prosecuted and punished, and the public fully supports that. But if criticism of government policies—for instance, pointing out inadequate flood response—is treated as an offence under PECA, that would be an abuse of the law,” Senator Zafar remarked.

The Ministry of Interior informed the committee that none of the cases registered so far related to anti-state activities. Instead, they were linked to hate crimes, including incitement and sectarian violence.

Senator Zafar underscored the need for striking a careful balance between protecting national security and safeguarding freedom of expression. The meeting was attended by Senators Sarmad Ali, Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui, Pervaiz Rashid, Abdul Shakoor Khan, Jan Muhammad, Syed Waqar Mehdi, and Faisal Javed. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar was also present.

The chairman emphasised, “Journalists are the fourth pillar of democracy. We all aim to advance democracy, but questions must also remain within ethical bounds. Sometimes we face planted questions as well.”

The committee discussed the case of Tariq Ali Virk, as Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar informed members that the officer involved had been suspended and that the RPO Rawalpindi had met journalists at the Press Club to resolve the matter. “The issue has been settled amicably,” he assured the forum.

The committee recommended forming a coordination committee which shall address all matters and grievances of journalists.

The committee chairman reviewed details of cases registered under the PECA Act. The officials concerned told the meeting that 19 cases had been filed in Islamabad, none of which involved journalists, and that following the latest amendments, provinces are barred from registering PECA cases, and such cases are transferred to federal jurisdiction.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) revealed that it had registered 1,214 cases nationwide, including 10 against journalists, 611 related to financial fraud, and 320 concerning harassment, whereas no arrests have been made in the 19 Islamabad cases.

The committee expressed concern over 372 cases illegally registered in the provinces after the PECA amendment. “All these cases, whether wrong has been registered by illegal authorities — what to do with them now?” asked Chairman Senator Ali Zafar. The chairman recommended that all such cases should be taken back and also decided to form a sub-committee to address this issue.

Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui highlighted a major financial fraud, revealing that nine members of the National Assembly alone were targeted by scammers misusing his name. “Members are being asked for money in my name. Despite filing four complaints, no redress has been provided,” he lamented.

The officials from NCCIA confirmed that Rs1.3 million had been recovered in Senator Irfan’s case, with four arrests made and efforts ongoing to apprehend the main accused. They added that Rs10 million had been recovered in just five months in WhatsApp-related hacking cases.

When contacted for more details, Senator Irfan said that he was to raise this matter on the floor of the Senate, but the committee had already taken notice of it. He explained that for the last two years, this fraud was being committed while he had filed three or four complaints with FIA and noted that around Rs3 million were yet to be recovered.

However, he regretted that so far, not a single arrest had been made in this modern era. He felt sorry for senators, MNAs, and MPAs, who had been cheated using his name and image.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid also disclosed to the committee that he was subjected to harassment and threats after a Senate speech. “I was abused and threatened, but no one addressed my complaint,” he stated.

Chairman Ali Zafar, when contacted, told this correspondent that this matter would be probed, and for this he had urged Senator Pervaiz Rashid to formally write to him, as it was quite alarming that a senator could be harassed and threatened merely based on his speech delivered on the floor of the House.

Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi raised an alarm over a state television anchor who broadcast a hateful vlog against the Sindhi community. After hearing from both parties, members unanimously recommended registering an FIR against the anchor under the PECA Act.

The committee sought detailed figures of the federal government advertisement expenditures across print and electronic media from March 5, 2024, to date in the next meeting.

The meeting was told that the Cabinet had approved rules for the Social Media Regulatory Authority, with staff recruitment advertisements to be issued soon.

Earlier, the committee deferred consideration of the Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Afnanullah Khan, to the next session.