Man arrested under Peca law for insulting Maryam on social media

LAHORE: A man in Punjab’s Pakpattan city was arrested on Friday for allegedly permitting an insulting post targeting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to be shared in a WhatsApp group, violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca).

According to a first information report (FIR) — a copy of which is available with Geo News, a post using “dirty language” against the Punjab CM was uploaded to a WhatsApp group.

“The suspect deliberately uploaded an immoral, insulting post on the group, while the admin, being aware of the post’s offensive and illegal nature, did not delete it, but rather allowed other group members to see the post,” stated the FIR. It further said that the group admin — who was arrested — was “trying to spread chaos among the public”. The FIR was registered against the suspect and the group admin under Section 20 of Peca and Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the Pakpattan police have confirmed the arrest of the group admin, saying that the suspect shared an insulting post against the CM Maryam in the WhatsApp group. “The group admin has been arrested,” they added. The development came a day after the National Assembly passed the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, making changes to the existing cybercrime laws, drawing severe criticism from journalist bodies. The draft titled “Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025” includes new definitions, the establishment of regulatory and investigative bodies, and stricter penalties for disseminating “false” information. The government aims to lower the punishment for spreading “fake information” online to three years, according to a draft of the document, while they may also face a fine of up to Rs 2 million.

“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the bill said. The newly amended bill also proposed the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Social Media Protection Tribunal.