IFJ calls for withdrawal of PECA cases against women journalists in Pakistan

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 22 August 2025 |  IFJ Media Release

The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the registration of PECA cases against four female journalists in Pakistan. They urge the government to withdraw these cases and address the broader issues surrounding press freedom and censorship.

Summary

Pakistani authorities have registered cases under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against four female journalists, including the Islamabad National Press Club (NPC) secretary, for discussing a private issue involving an NPC member in a shared WhatsApp group. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), condemn the arbitrary registration of the legal cases and call for their swift withdrawal.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Reporting Center registered a First Information Report (FIR) on February 27, 2025, under Section 21/1(d) of the PECA and Sections 506(II), 34, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code in response to a complaint filed by Nasir Khan Khattak, who is currently engaged in a dispute with his partner, NPC member Salma Shahid.

The FIR alleges that Shahid shared details of the private disagreement with fellow NPC members in a WhatsApp group titled ‘NPC Women Journalists Caucus’, created by the press club’s Secretary Nayar Ali. In total, four women journalists are named in the case, including Shahid, Ali, and group administrators Sehrish Qureshi and Myra Imran. The FIR also implicates all 171 group members.

According to the Women’s Media Forum Pakistan (WMFP), the cases were registered by the FIA without allowing the four journalists to present any counter explanation. The WMFP said the FIR was an “alarming attempt to silence women journalists and restrict their right to free expression and association.”

Since passing in 2016, the IFJ and PFUJ criticised the PECA’s impact on freedom of expression and access to information, with journalists, activists, and political opponents targeted under the law and the government enforcing frequent shutdowns of online platforms. Recent amendments to the cybercrime law, passed in Pakistan’s National Assembly on January 23, widened PECA’s scope to further restrict online freedom of expression, enable further regulatory control of content, and grant additional government powers to oversee social media platforms.

The PFUJ said: “PFUJ does not support filing cases under the controversial PECA. We urge the authorities to ensure justice.”

The IFJ said: “Journalists must not be criminalised for performing their professional duties or exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression. The IFJ urges Pakistan’s government to repeal the PECA’s draconian provisions and ensure it cannot be misused as a tool to silence the media and suppress press freedom.”