Pakistan: Journalists, lawyers, and rights groups to hold "Joint Struggle" against 'Draconian' Peca law"

Karachi [Pakistan], February 20 (ANI): Journalist organizations, members of the legal community, and human rights groups reached a consensus to initiate a "joint struggle" against the recently enacted Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, commonly referred to as Peca.

According to a report by Dawn, they declared that a convention would be held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on March 1 to protest against the "draconian law."

Dawn reported that during a consultative meeting organized by the KPC, participants committed to utilizing all available legal avenues to express their opposition to the newly passed legislation and urged the civil society to engage in the effort.

The meeting, which was co-chaired by KPC president Fazil Jamili and secretary Muhammad Sohail Afzal Khan, included representatives from various journalist and media organizations, bar associations, rights advocacy groups, labour unions, and others. Attendees of the meeting concurred that Peca was a repressive statute that should be revoked without delay.

Dawn's report highlighted that they expressed that the government, through Peca, had shielded "unlawful and unethical actions" against the freedom of expression.

Even before the law's ratification, authorities, influenced by their power, had already begun to target journalists, doctors, lawyers, students, teachers, and intellectuals for voicing their opinions.

The participants of the meeting resolved to hold a convention on March 1, inviting all members of the society impacted by the situation, where a plan for future actions would be discussed.

During the event, former president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, expressed that the recently enacted law not only posed a threat to press freedom but also suppressed dissenting voices from all sectors of society that advocate for freedom of expression.

"We will take every step to block the draconian law. We will protest against it on the streets and challenge the ill-conceived law in court, knocking on every door for its withdrawal," he added. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)