Journalist Booked Under PECA for Spreading False, Provocative Video on Social Media

On April 12, 2025, journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi was booked under Section 21 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 for allegedly disseminating a ‘provocative and false’ video statement. According to the police, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tariq Mumtaz reported that Qureshi’s video, circulated on WhatsApp, claimed a woman was run over by a dumper in the Sir Syed police station area, leading to public unrest and attacks on police officers. However, upon verification, authorities found no such incident had occurred, and the information was deemed false. Qureshi is the latest journalist to face charges under PECA, a law that has been criticized for being used to suppress dissent and target media professionals .