Journalists, vloggers among 150 booked under PECA for “maligning security agencies”

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered cases against 150 individuals, including journalists and vloggers, “for their involvement in maligning security agencies over the Nov 26 incident”, referring to the controversy surrounding the number of deaths at a protest march by PTI supporters in late November 2024. According to the FIA, Harmeet Singh, a Pakistani Sikh journalist, had ostensibly promoted a “false narrative” concerning the four day-long protest, and claimed that he had incited violence against the state. He and others were being booked under Sections 9 (“Glorification of an Offence”), 10 (“Cyber Terrorism”), 11 (“Hate Speech”) and 24 (“Cyber Stalking”) of the PECA.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the 150 arrests, calling them “a blatant attack on press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan and depicts the authoritarian mindset of the so-called elected government.” The PFUJ stressed that it does not condone “fake news”, but that “due process” was vital when registering cases against journalists.