Senate Committee questions case against women journalists under PECA, seeks report

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 19 August 2025 |  JP Staff Report

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has called for a report on a controversial cybercrime case against several women journalists. The case, viewed as a threat to press freedom, has faced widespread criticism from journalist bodies and civil society groups.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has directed the Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report on the cybercrime case registered against several women journalists under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

During a committee session, notices were taken of the case that names Nayyar Ali, Secretary of the National Press Club (NPC), Sehrish Qureshi, Joint Secretary, and former NPC office-bearers Myra Imran and Shakeela Jalil, among others. The committee expressed concern over the matter and formally asked the ministry to clarify the basis of the case.

The move follows widespread criticism from journalist bodies and civil society groups, who argue that the PECA law has been increasingly used as a tool to harass, silence, and intimidate journalists. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has already condemned the case, calling it an attack on press freedom and a direct threat to women journalists working in the country.

What makes this case alarming is its vindictive nature. The women journalists were reportedly included simply because they were addressing a harassment complaint, yet they now find themselves entangled in a criminal case. Even administrators and members of the National Press Club Women’s Caucus WhatsApp group—171 professionals in total—have been dragged into this legal farce. Such mass implication reflects not justice but intimidation tactics designed to silence women in the newsroom and beyond.

Introduced in 2016, the PECA Act was initially meant to curb online harassment, hate speech, and cybercrimes. However, it has frequently come under fire for being misused against journalists, political activists, and dissenting voices. In recent years, several reporters and social media activists have faced legal action under its broad and vaguely defined clauses.

The involvement of women journalists in the case has sparked an especially sharp backlash, with rights advocates stressing that it highlights the growing risks faced by women in Pakistan’s media industry. Many argue that such cases discourage women from pursuing journalism at a time when representation and press diversity are already under pressure.

The Senate Committee’s demand for a report is being viewed as a positive step, but journalist unions insist that the charges must be withdrawn immediately. Observers say the development has once again reignited the debate around revising or repealing PECA to prevent its misuse against the media.

Photo: Representational