Overview
- Petitions by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association challenge the amendments as unconstitutional and as shifting judicial powers to the executive.
- The Islamabad High Court adjourned the consolidated case to March 6 for further arguments with no interim suspension of the law granted.
- Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas questioned how Section 2C on false or fake posts would be applied, including who identifies such content and how proceedings would start.
- Petitioners warned that a new procedure allowing third parties to file complaints could enable proxy cases and facilitate misuse against journalists.
- The 2025 amendments expand state authority over online content, establish the DRPA/SMCC, broaden the scope of social platforms, contemplate replacing the FIA Cybercrime Wing, and set penalties including up to three years in prison and a Rs2 million fine for sharing expunged assembly material.