Press release

Call for collective resistance to speech curbs at HRCP moot

Islamabad, 24 December 2025. Speakers at a widely attended roundtable meeting held by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) reiterated the suffocating impact of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and its subsequent amendments on ordinary citizens and called for a broad civil society coalition to defend freedom of digital expression.

Moderated by lawyer Azwar Shakeel, the roundtable was held as part of HRCP’s ongoing campaign, ‘Ten years of PECA, ten years of silence’. PFUJ president Afzal Butt and HRCP co-chair Munizae Jahangir reaffirmed the need for principled opposition to such rights-curtailing laws, proposing direct dialogue with the authorities to distinguish reasonable regulation from repression.

Veteran journalist and HRCP Council member Nasir Zaidi noted that the state’s approach to speech has historically been restrictive, with laws designed to control narratives rather than protect constitutional rights. Several journalists also highlighted structural constraints to press freedom. Journalist Akbar Notezai noted that newspapers in Balochistan depended heavily on state advertising, making editorial independence increasingly untenable. Journalist Matiullah Jan stressed that any involvement of other security agencies in PECA-based FIA investigations risked abuse.

Several participants shared personal experiences of harassment, with one journalist recounting threats and intimidation by officials of the FIA, raising concerns about corruption and the lack of accountability within enforcement bodies.

Lawyers and journalists, including Saqib Bashir and Asad Toor, emphasized the importance of coordinated, evidence-based litigation across multiple courts in PECA-related cases, but argued that legal avenues alone were insufficient and must be complemented by transparent public debate and collective resistance to these laws. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi agreed that resisting laws that restrict press freedom was necessary.

Concluding the roundtable, former senator and HRCP Council member Farhatullah Babar proposed the formation of pro bono legal teams to address due-process violations under the PECA laws and structured engagement with political parties on this subject, which was endorsed by Rawalpindi Journalists Union president Tariq Ali. Mr Babar also suggested that officials responsible for abusing these laws should be publicly identified.

Asad Iqbal Butt
Chairperson