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The National Assembly passed a controversial amendment to the country’s cybercrime laws on Thursday, despite a walkout by opposition members and journalists.
The latest draft, titled “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025,” was introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar a day earlier and referred to the standing committee.
What will the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act do?
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act aims to create an agency empowered to block “unlawful and offensive content” on social media and ban individuals and organizations from these platforms.
Social media platforms would need to register with the new Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, facing temporary or permanent bans for non-compliance.
The law also criminalizes spreading disinformation, with penalties including three years in prison and a fine of 2 million rupees ($7,150).
The new agency would have the authority to immediately block unlawful content targeting judges, the armed forces, parliament, or provincial assemblies. Moreover, the law prohibits uploading remarks from parliament that have been struck from the record.
Pakistan’s opposition argues that the government is attempting to further suppress freedom of speech, following the passage of extensive social media controls that could lead to platform blockages and imprisonment for spreading disinformation.
