KARACHI – The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has strongly criticised a notice issued by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to Daily Nai Baat, terming it an overreach and a threat to press freedom.
In a statement issued by APNS President Senator Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Muhammad Athar Kazi, the organisation said the notice, based on a complaint from the Pakistan Administrative Service Association over a column containing the phrase “bureau corrupts”, amounted to a direct challenge to journalistic independence and public discourse.
The APNS maintained that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was enacted to address cybercrime and offences on digital platforms and was not intended to apply to print journalism. It argued that extending its scope to newspapers was beyond its jurisdiction and contrary to assurances given at the time of its promulgation.
The statement further said that grievances against newspapers fall under the domain of the Press Council of Pakistan, not cybercrime authorities, and warned that such actions risk creating a climate of fear, encouraging self-censorship, and undermining democratic accountability.
Describing the move as a “dangerous precedent”, the APNS said it believed a free press cannot function under the threat of criminal investigation for commentary or reporting carried out in the public interest.
It urged the government to uphold constitutional guarantees under Article 19 and called for the immediate withdrawal of the notice, expressing solidarity with Daily Nai Baat and its staff.
