On July 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) called upon journalist organisations to provide proposals for regulating social media, as it resumed hearings on petitions challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Act 2025.
Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas presided over the proceedings and also sought assistance in reviewing both past and current legal mechanisms aimed at addressing fake and defamatory news content.
The petitions were filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), noted anchorpersons and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association. The petitioners have argued that the recent amendments to PECA pose a serious threat to freedom of the press and expression.
During the hearing, the counsels representing the petitioners — Riasat Ali Azad, Imran Shafiq, Dr Yasir Aman Khan, among others — appeared before the bench. The federal government was represented by Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez and other legal officers.
It was informed in court that written responses from all concerned parties had been submitted. A government representative noted that provincial governments had also been included in the case. Responding to this, Advocate Imran Shafiq confirmed that an earlier objection from the Registrar’s Office regarding the inclusion of provinces had already been addressed.
Justice Minhas instructed the petitioners’ lawyers to begin their arguments. Dr. Yasir Aman Khan, appearing on behalf of PFUJ, opened the arguments by presenting a historical overview of the PECA legislation. He informed the court that the original PECA law was enacted in 2016, and the 2025 amendments had brought significant changes, such as the creation of a Social Media Complaints Council and the removal or modification of several existing provisions.
Justice Minhas observed that the petitioners should clearly outline what the previous code entailed and how the new amendments differ in order to assist the court in assessing the impact. Dr. Khan also referred to several judicial rulings to support his case.
The hearing forms part of the IHC’s ongoing examination of the PECA Amendment Act 2025, which was passed by the National Assembly earlier this year and has since raised concerns over digital rights, press freedom, and state oversight of online spaces.
