APNS condemned the NCCIA notice to daily Nayi Baat, calling it a misuse of PECA.
KARACHI – The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has strongly criticized the notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to the daily Nayi Baat, terming it as a threat to the freedom of the press.
In a statement issued by APNS President Senator Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Muhammad Athar Qazi, the organization said the notice based on a complaint by the Pakistan Administrative Service Association over a column containing the phrase “bureaucrats” amounted to a direct challenge to press freedom and public discourse.
APNS maintained that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was enacted to combat cybercrime and crime on digital platforms and was not intended to apply to print journalism. It argued that extending its scope to newspapers was beyond its jurisdiction and against the assurances given at the time of its publication.
The statement added that complaints against newspapers fall under the jurisdiction of the Press Council of Pakistan and not cybercrime authorities, and warned that such measures risk creating a climate of fear, encouraging self-censorship and undermining democratic accountability.
Calling the move a “dangerous precedent”, APNS said it believes an independent press cannot operate under the threat of criminal investigation for comments or reporting in the public interest.
He urged the government to uphold the constitutional guarantees under Article 19 and expressed solidarity with the daily Nayi Baat and its staff, demanding immediate withdrawal of the notice.
The post APNS daily Nai Baat condemns NCCIA notice, terming PECA misuse appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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