PECA 2016 § 2R — Unlawful or offensive online content

Statutory text (English)

(1) The Authority shall have the power to issue
directions to a social media platform for removal or blocking of online content, if such online content—
(a) is against the ideology of Pakistan, etc.;
(b) incites the public to violate the law, take the law in own hands, with a view to
coerce, intimidate or terrorize public, individuals, groups, communities,
government officials and institutions;
(c) incites public or section of public to cause damage to governmental or private
property;
(d) coerce or intimidate public or section of public and thereby preventing them
from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupts civic life;
(e) incites hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic basis to stir up
violence or cause internal disturbance;
(f) contains anything obscene or pornographic in contravention of any applicable
law;
(g) is known to be fake, or false or there exist sufficient reasons to believe that the
same may he fake or false beyond a reasonable doubt;
(h) contains aspersions against any person including members of Judiciary; Armed
Forces, Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or a Provincial Assembly; or
(i) promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the State
or its institutions.

(2) Without prejudice to any other restrictions in this regard, while reporting the proceedings
of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or a Provincial Assembly, such portion of the proceedings as the
Chairman of the Senate, the Speaker of the National Assembly or, as the case may be, Speaker of the
Provincial Assembly may have ordered to be expunged, shall not be streamed or made available for
viewing on social media platforms in any manner and every effort shall be made to release a fair
account of the proceedings.

(3) The statements of prescribed organizations or their representatives or members thereof shall
not be streamed or made available for viewing on social media platforms in any manner.
(2S) Handling of complaints by social media platforms.— The social media platforms shall
maintain an effective and transparent procedure for handling complaints about unlawful or offensive
online content. The social media platforms shall supply users with any easily recognizable, directly
accessible, and permanently available procedure for submitting complaints about unlawful or offensive
online content.
(2T) Social Media Complaint Council,—

(1) The Federal Government shall by notification in
the official Gazette, constitute Social Media Complaint Council which shall consist of a Chairman and
four members including one ex-officio member to receive and process complaints made by persons,
organizations and general public against violation of any provision of this Act as may be prescribed by
regulations.

(2) The Chairman and members other than ex-officio members of the Council shall be
appointed by the Federal Government for a term of three years extendable for another similar term on
the terms and conditions of service as may be determined by it.

(3) The Chairman and members other than ex-officio member of the Council, shall not exceed
sixty-two years of age at the time of their initial appointment.

(4) The Chairman and members of the Council shall be eminent professional having a
recognized bachelor’s degree and with fifteen years experience in information technology or law or
social media policy governance or related emerging technologies.

(5) Secretary or Additional Secretary of the division to which business of information
technology and telecommunication stands allocated shall be the ex-officio member of the Council.

(6) The Chairman or a member of the Council may resign from his office by writing under his
hand addressed to the Federal Government through the division concerned.

(7) The Federal Government may remove the Chairman or a member of the Council if he is
found unable to perform the functions of his office due to mental or physical disability, inefficiency or
to have committed misconduct.

Explanation.— For the purposes of this section, the expression “misconduct” means conviction
for any offence involving moral turpitude and abuse or misuse of authority.

(8) In case of a vacancy occurring due to the death, resignation or removal of Chairman or any
member of the Council, other than the ex-officio member, the Federal Government shall appoint
another qualified person within a. period not exceeding two months from the date the vacancy
occurred.

Source and verification

Source citation: PECA 2016 (Act XL of 2016) s.2R: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE PREVENTION OF ELECTRONIC CRIMES ACT, 2016' (incl. Act XXXVII of 2023 & Act II of 2025 amendments), p. 16, 17, ingested 2026-09-15. Automated transcription from official source (pypdf extraction, audited artifact repair); human admin re-check required before production.

Verification status: verified · Text status: auto_transcribed_verified_source

The record cites an official source, but its transcription is automated or only partly checked; a human re-check is pending.

Official Urdu text status: pending_official_urdu_text. Where official Urdu wording has not been sourced, Qanoon does not substitute an unverified translation for the statutory text.

Historical text notes

1 historical record is linked to this section. Historical wording may be incomplete or pending verification; it is not presented as current law.

• Date not confirmed: Consolidated current text as published in the official Pakistan Code PDF (p. 16, 17) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment…

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