Pakistan's recent amendments to its Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) have raised alarms among human rights advocates regarding press freedom. These laws penalize the spread of false information online, with the potential for severe penalties including imprisonment. Following the enactment, journalists Farhan Mallick and Waheed Murad were detained for purportedly distributing disinformation, particularly involving sensitive topics like the military. Critics highlight the law's broad scope, which could stifle free expression and lead to the arbitrary detention of journalists, igniting fears of censorship and oppression in the media landscape.
The law has been misused in a way that they pick up journalists prior to filing a case against them. The same procedure was followed in my case.
Both journalists had reported on the alleged role of Pakistan's powerful military that has ruled the country for much of its 77-year history.
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