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May 08, 2026
PPP Human Rights Cell Urges Comprehensive Review of PecaIslamabad: Pakistan People Party (PPP) Human Rights Cell has demanded a comprehensive review of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) law in order to make it compatible with fundamental rights and international human rights standards, rather than being weaponized to silence dissent. It also demanded an end to the abuse of judicial processes as instruments of intimidation against citizens.
“Silencing those who speak for rights, justice and the marginalized is silencing the conscience of the society itself. The strength of a democracy lies not in suppressing dissent, but in engaging with it,” ex-senator and president of the PPP human rights cell Farhatullah Babar said on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.
“The World Press Freedom Day today is observed in Pakistan amid unprecedented weaponization of Peca law against journalists and rights defenders who dare raise voice against injustices, enforced disappearances or challenge official narratives with alternative narratives in the country increasingly becoming security driven instead of rights or welfare driven.”
He said on this day they also urge the adoption of legislation to protect the human rights defenders from victimization and abuse of judicial processes.
He urged that the recent amendments made in Peca be reviewed. Apart from amending Peca last year for weaponization, legal processes are also being abused.
Prolonged detentions without trial, delayed hearings, excessive charges and midnight knocks are new tools of coercion as we saw in cases of journalists Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor and lately Fakharur Rehman besides many others. Such practices violate constitutional guarantees in Articles 10-A and 19 of the Constitution, he said.
The severity of the sentences to Imaan and Hadi and the circumstances surrounding it are deeply troubling and raise serious questions about proportionality, due process, and the misuse of coercive legal instruments. He also expressed concern over the delay in the hearing of their applications before Islamabad High Court for suspension of the sentence.
‘Justice delayed is justice denied’.
The right to a timely hearing is part of fair trial, due process and a fundamental right. The long pendency of their application undermines confidence in the judicial process. The PPP Human Rights Cell also urged the Islamabad High Court to fix and hear their applications at the earliest and the Supreme Court to take cognizance. Justice must not only be done but seen to be done. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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