KARACHI: The APNS strongly condemns the notice issued to Daily Nai Baat by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the PECA law and termed it as an attack on freedom of Press. Senator Sarmad Ali, President and Mr. Muhammad Athar Kazi, Secretary General of All Pakistan Newspapers Society stated that the NCCIA notice to a newspaper and its columnist on complaint of Pakistan Administrative Service Association that the column used the expression “bureau corrupts” to malign civil servants, is a direct assault on press freedom, public discourse, freedom of expression and people’s right to know. The PECA was framed as legal frame work for regulating cybercrimes, prosecuting digital offences on social media while promulgating the PECA, media organizations were assured that it would not implicate print media; as its frame work restricted to regulate cybercrime. The action of NCCIA against the newspaper is a blatant transgression of the scope and jurisdiction of the Act and the regulating authority, which is not acceptable to print media. The competent regulatory authority to deal with any grievances against a newspaper, is the Press Council of Pakistan not the NCCIA. DNA
