Silenced

Online speech and its consequences in Pakistan, 2016 to present

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PECA Section 37: Unlawful on-line content

Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 (as amended in 2025)

What this section covers

Official heading: Unlawful on-line content

Powers to remove or block online content considered against the glory of Islam, the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan, public order, decency or morality, or contempt of court.

Part of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 (as amended in 2025). Pakistan's cybercrime law, passed in 2016. It makes offences of things done through phones, computers and the internet, including online defamation (section 20), glorifying terrorism (section 9), cyber terrorism (section 10) and, since 2025, spreading 'false or fake' information (section 26-A). It also lets the authorities order online content removed or blocked (section 37).

A plain-language explanation, not legal advice. The official text always takes precedence.

Official text

The official consolidated text, published by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Pakistan Code:

Read Section 37 in the official text ↗

Recent incidents citing this law

The following verified cases are currently mapped on Silenced under this law.

2 verified incidents whose report cites Section 37. Citations are read automatically from news reports and can be incomplete; inclusion does not verify the allegation.

  1. Islamabad court orders blocking of 27 YouTube channels on NCCIA’s request

    · Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory · Speech Consequences · Arrest · Law cited: PECA 37

    Farhan Mallick, the founder of media agency Raftar and a former news director at Samaa TV , was arrested on March 20 in Karachi and booked under Peca as well as the Pakistan Penal Code in a case related to alleged anti-state content on his YouTube channel. The arrest was met with widespread criticism from media bodies as well as rights activists.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

  2. Project Peca III: What goes around, comes around

    · Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory · Speech Consequences · Arrest · Law cited: PECA 10, 11, 13, 20, 21, 24, 37; PPC 124-A, 131, 500, 501, 505

    The year 2020 began on the heels of sedition cases against the Student Solidarity March organisers in December 2019 and PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen’s arrest in January, followed by the arrests of MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir as well as those of several AWP leaders. In the case of Umair Solangi, Executive Editor of AwamiKhabarnama.com , he tweeted that he was illegally detained by the FIA who picked him up at 9pm on October 21, 2020, releasing him the next day in the early hours at around 4am.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

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