President Asif Ali Zardari has granted his approval to the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025, officially enacting it into law.
His decision comes after an initial delay, during which he withheld his signature to review concerns raised by journalist associations regarding the law’s potential impact on press freedom.
Alongside the PECA amendments, the President also signed into law the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025 and the National Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2025.
These bills had already been passed by the National Assembly, the Standing Committee, and the Senate before reaching the President’s desk. However, in response to widespread protests by journalists and a formal request from Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman on behalf of the Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan (PRAP), President Zardari initially postponed signing the PECA amendments to address PRAP’s concerns. Despite this delay, he has now granted final approval.
The Senate’s passage of the amended PECA Act was met with strong resistance from opposition parties and journalists, many of whom staged a walkout during the session. Protests erupted across the country, with PRAP organizing a demonstration outside Parliament House.
Despite the ongoing concerns voiced by journalist groups, the President has now formalized the amendments into law.
