Pakistan: Christians Concerned New Electronic Crimes Law May Be Used Against Them
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Christians as well as rights groups and journalists in Pakistan have condemned a newly passed digital crimes law which they say may be used to persecute people who dissent from or criticize the government, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2025 (PECA) into law on Jan. 29.
While its sponsors claim it is necessary to combat hate speech and misinformation, the PECA legislation is controversial because it provides for a powerful Digital Rights Protection Authority to monitor social media platforms and remove content that is deemed unlawful, CDI reports.
In a statement to CDI, Bishop Azad Marshall of the Church of Pakistan said Christians are concerned the far-reaching legislation may be abused by people wanting to persecute believers for their faith. “Our people are already struggling with false accusations of blasphemy because there’s no deterrent law against the accusers,” Marshall said. “If this new law is also misused, it will lead to more victimization of our people.”
“With the mainstream media compromised, social media had become an effective tool for people to voice their opinion as well as report persecution incidents,” Marshall added. “We are concerned that the new law could be misused to discourage people from expressing their point of view.”
Ruled by an Islamic government that has implemented harsh blasphemy laws, Pakistan ranks 8 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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