PESHAWAR: Journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday rejected the amendments made to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) by the federal government, terming it against freedom of expression and demanded immediate withdrawal. Khyber Union of Journalists President Kashifuddin Syed, Peshawar Press Club President M. Riaz, General Secretary of Peshawar Press Club Tayeb Usman Awan, General Secretary of Khyber Union of Journalists Arshad Ali, and Gulzar Mohammad, President of Press Journalists staged a walkout from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in response to the amendments. The protest also garnered the support of several provincial leaders, including Member of Provincial Assembly and former Speaker of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mushtaq Ghani, Provincial Minister Dr Amjad, Provincial Minister of Labor Fazl Shakur, and other ministers, who expressed their solidarity with the journalists. In their statements, Kashifuddin Syed and M. Riaz emphasized that the legislation, passed without proper consultation, was unacceptable. They argued that the amendments to the PECA Act were designed to criminalize dissent and suppress free speech. The leaders called for the bill to be postponed in the Senate to allow for consultation with all relevant stakeholders. They urged the federal government to immediately withdraw the amendments, asserting that such laws directly hinder freedom of expression. DLP Report
