Silenced

Online speech and its consequences in Pakistan, 2016 to present

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PECA Section 9: Glorification of an offence

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

What this section covers

Official heading: Glorification of an offence

Preparing or disseminating information through an information system to glorify an offence relating to terrorism, a person convicted of terrorism, or the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals.

Maximum penalty: Up to 7 years, or fine up to Rs10 million, or both

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 9 in the official text ↗

Recent incidents citing this law

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

6 verified incidents whose report cites Section 9. Citations are read automatically from news reports and can be incomplete; inclusion does not verify the allegation.

  1. Court dismisses plea against remand of anchor Iqrarul Hassan

    · Karachi, Sindh · Speech Consequences · Arrest · Law cited: PECA 9, 10, 24, 26-A, 63

    At the outset of the hearing, defence counsel Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq submitted that his client had been arrested at his house in Lahore against a case registered on the basis of a source report that he allegedly criticised the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a video uploaded to… During the proceedings, Mr Hassan’s wife Farah took the witness box and informed the court about her husband’s arrest claiming that the investigating officer was not present at the time of the arrest.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

  2. اقرار الحسن کے خلاف سائبر کرائم مقدمہ: عدالت نے جسمانی ریمانڈ کے خلاف درخواست مسترد کر دی

    · Karachi, Sindh · Speech Consequences · Arrest · Law cited: PECA 9

    پاکستان کے صوبہ سندھ کے شہر کراچی کی ڈسٹرکٹ اینڈ سیشنز عدالت نے صحافی اقرار الحسن کے جسمانی ریمانڈ کے خلاف دائر درخواست مسترد کر دی ہے۔ ایف آئی آر میں درج ہے کہ یہ مواد نشر کرنے کا اقرار الحسن کا مقصد یہ تھا کہ ’ریاست، ریاستی اداروں اور ان کے عہدیداروں کے خلاف عوامی رائے کو مشتعل کیا جائے۔‘ این سی سی آئی اے نے ایف آئی آر میں اقرار الحسن کی جانب سے ایکس، انسٹاگرام اور فیس بک پر اپ لوڈ کی گئی ویڈیو کا حوالہ دیا ہے، جس میں وہ خیبر پختونخوا میں…

    View on map · BBC Urdu ↗

  3. ریاست مخالف مواد پھیلانے کا الزام؛ جوائنٹ ایکشن کمیٹی کے سرگرم رکن کیخلاف پیکا ایکٹ کے تحت مقدمہ درج

    · Azad Jammu and Kashmir · Speech Consequences · FIR · Law cited: PECA 9, 10, 11, 26-A

    ماخذ کے مطابق آن لائن سرگرمی سے منسلک مقدمہ کی اطلاع: «تحقیقات میں یہ بات سامنے آئی کہ ملزم نے سوشل میڈیا پلیٹ فارمز فیس بک، ٹویٹر اور ٹک ٹاک پر ریاستی اداروں بالخصوص پاک فوج اور حکومتی افسران کے خلاف منفی اور اشتعال انگیز مواد پھیلایا۔»

    View on map · Daily Express ↗

  4. Journalists, vloggers among 150 booked under Peca

    · Lahore, Punjab · Speech Consequences · FIR · Law cited: PECA 9, 10, 11, 24

    The FIA Cybercrime Wing has so far arrested over 20 social media activists across the country for controversial posts about alleged deaths during the crackdown. The arrests come after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of a joint task force to track down those responsible for spreading what officials called “fake news” about the protest deaths.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

  5. Project Peca II: A weapon of mass intimidation

    · Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · Speech Consequences · Death · Law cited: PECA 9, 10, 11, 20; PPC 500, 505

    The PTM’s jalsas gained momentum across the country, agitating the issue of missing persons and enforced disappearances, which also led to clampdowns on their protests, and FIRs and arrests against organisers and participants. In July 2018, rights activist Hayat Preghal was taken into custody, charged under sections 9 and 10 of Peca, along with sections 500 and 109 of the PPC for allegedly posting content “critical of Pakistani state policies” on social media.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

  6. Project Peca I: How to silence a nation

    · Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory · Blasphemy Cases · Blasphemy · Law cited: PECA 9, 10, 11, 20, 24; PPC 500, 501, 505

    The Pakistani state has a long history of using legal and illegal measures [enforced disappearances, for instance] to ensure everyone toes the line and protect the status quo. Swati is also not the first politician to be arrested for making “remarks against institutions” on social media.

    View on map · Dawn ↗

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