The National Assembly on Thursday passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists from the proceedings.

The latest draft of changes to the cybercrime laws, seen by Dawn.com and titled “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025”, was tabled in the National Assembly a day ago by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and referred to the standing committee.

Journalists staged a walkout today from the press gallery in protest of the bill’s passage after it was presented by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.

Lawmakers from the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl also opposed the bill.

The PTI lawmakers had already walked out earlier after protesting against party founder Imran Khan’s incarceration and saying they would not allow the house’s proceedings to go ahead.

The bill, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, proposes a new provision, Section 26(A), to Peca, so as to penalise perpetrators of “fake news” online, that said: “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years or with fine which may extend to Rs2m or with both.”

It also proposes the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority which would perform a range of functions related to social media such as education, awareness, training, regulation, enlistment, blocking and more.

It said that anyone “aggrieved by fake and false information” would be able to approach the authority to remove or block access to the content in question, adding that the authority would issue orders no later than 24 hours after the request.

The changes propose that the authority might require any social media platform to enlist with it in any manner, form and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

It added that apart from the requirements of the act, additional conditions or requisites as deemed appropriate might also be stipulated while enlisting a social media platform.

The bill outlined that the authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform for removal or blocking of online content if it was against the ideology of Pakistan, etc.; incited the public to violate the law, take the law in own hands, with a view to coerce, intimidate or terrorise public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions; incited the public or section of the public to cause damage to governmental or private property; coerced or intimidated the public or section of the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life; incited hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic basis to stir up violence or cause internal disturbance; contained anything obscene or pornographic in contravention of any applicable law; was known to be fake or false or there existed sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be fake or false beyond a reasonable doubt; contained aspersions against any person, including members of judiciary, armed forces, parliament or a provincial assembly; or promoted and encouraged terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions.

The bill also proposes that any part of parliamentary proceedings or those of the provincial assemblies that was ordered expunged would not be streamed or made available for viewing on social media platforms in any manner with every effort made to release a fair account of the proceedings.

“The statements of proscribed organisations or their representatives or members thereof shall not be streamed or made available for viewing on social media platforms in any manner,” the changes propose.

They further said social media platforms would maintain an effective and transparent procedure for handling complaints about unlawful or offensive online content, adding that they would also supply users with an easily recognisable, directly accessible and permanently available procedure for submitting complaints about unlawful or offensive online content.

The bill additionally proposes the constitution of a Social Media Complaint Council to receive and process complaints made by aggrieved parties against violation of any provision of the cybercrime law.

The changes said that in case of any violation, the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority would approach the Social Media Protection Tribunal which would decide all cases in 90 days.

Journalists’ bodies, activists assail Peca amendments