Senior Journalist Benazir Shah was targeted with a deepfake video shared by an X account, followed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Benazir Shah condemned the move on X, stressing that such threats would not stop her voice.
Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar quickly reacted and said the act was “totally unacceptable and highly condemnable.” Atta Tarar promised strict action, made it clear that no one has the right to threaten or defame journalists, adding that he will never support this type of behavior of any individual.
Atta Tarar wrote on X, “Totally unacceptable and highly condemnable, ma’am. Notice taken, please. Nobody has the right to make fake videos and then disseminate them or try to harass any journalist by defaming them. I follow more than 1900 accounts. I do not condone the behaviour of this account, and also assure you that action will be taken.”
PECA — the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act was initially introduced in 2016 to deal with cybercrime, online harassment, and Illegal digital content. According to several critics, the law has been wrongly used to attack journalists, political workers, and activists. Several critics declared the PECA law as a tool to snatch digital freedom from journalists.
Senior Journalist praised the minister’s remarks but denied the legal process through the PECA act, as she said, “I appreciate the information minister taking this matter seriously. However, I do not wish to pursue a PECA case through the NCCIA, as doing so would lend legitimacy to a law and an institution that have been used to harass journalists, silence private citizens, and suppress dissent. If the minister and his government are serious about ensuring safety for journalists and citizens, they should scrap PECA and the NCCIA and begin a genuine consultation process to draft legislation that truly addresses journalists’ concerns.”
