ISLAMABAD: A standing committee of Pakistan’s Senate, the upper house of parliament, on Monday approved a bill to amend the country’s cybercrime law, the committee chairman said, amid opposition from journalists and rights groups.
Pakistan’s National Assembly, lower house of parliament, introduced and passed the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) on Thursday. The amendments were presented in the Senate on Friday and were forwarded to a relevant committee for consideration. After their passage from both houses, the draft will be sent to the president to be signed into a law.
The new regulations will set up a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals, according to a draft on the parliament’s website. Such tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200) for dissemination of “false or fake” information.
In his report, Senator Faisal Rehman, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, said the proposed amendments establish a robust framework for tackling cybercrimes through the creation of a key government mechanism, which will “ensure the protection of the citizens’ digital rights, regulate online content, and promote secure and responsible Internet usage.”
“After detailed discussion, the bill was put to the vote of the committee which was passed by the majority votes,” Senator Rehman said. “The committee recommends that ‘The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025,’ as passed by the National Assembly, may be passed by the House [Senate].”
The draft is expected to be presented before the Senate in the next few days, before being sent to the president for a final nod.
Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told parliament on Thursday the law was introduced to block “false and fake” news on social media, which he said had no specific regulations to govern it.
But the proposed amendments have angered journalism groups and rights activists, which say it is aimed at curbing press freedom.
“We reject this unilateral decision by the government to set up any such tribunals,” Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt told Reuters on Friday. “We also are in favor of regulations, but, you know, a law enforcement agency or a police officer can’t decide what is false or fake news.”
Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the amendment will “further tighten” the government’s grip on the “heavily controlled digital landscape” in the South Asian country.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), passed in 2016, triggered widespread criticism from human rights organizations and activists for its potential for “harmful impact” on the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Pakistan.
Reporters Without Borders, an organization that promotes and defends press freedom, ranked Pakistan low on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, at number 152. The group also says Pakistan is one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.