Pakistan agency says over 1,200 cases filed under new cybercrimes law, journalists included
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has registered over 1,214 cases under a cybercrime law this year, out of which 10 have been filed against journalists, the director-general of a national cybercrime agency said on Wednesday, amid fears by the opposition that the law would be used to punish critics.
Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was originally enacted in 2016, but an amendment bill passed in January 2025 expanded its scope by broadening the definition of “fake news” and criminalizing defamation against government officials.
The law also established a new social media regulatory authority to oversee digital content and a cybercrime agency with the power to prosecute violations.
“So far, a total of 1,214 cases have been registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) this year, out of which 10 have been filed against journalists,” DG NCCIA Waqar-ud-Din Syed told the Senate Standing Committee on Information.
