Speech and online harassment
The framework rests on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, which criminalises defamation, cyberstalking and non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and empowers the regulator to order removals. PECA has been criticised for its use against journalists and critics, while also providing the main practical route for victims of online harassment.
Key points
| Defamation | Civil in all of these jurisdictions; criminal defamation retained in some |
|---|---|
| Cyberharassment | Criminalised by cybercrime legislation |
| Intimate images | Non-consensual distribution is an offence |
| Platform removal | Usually faster than any legal route; use it first |
| Risk to speakers | Cybercrime provisions have been used against journalists and critics in several of these countries |
| Evidence | Screenshots with URL and date are the foundation of any complaint |
| PECA | Contains offences covering defamation, harassment and dignity online |
| Defamation Ordinance | Provides civil remedies alongside the criminal route |
| Blocking | The telecom regulator can order content blocked |
| Concerns | The framework has been criticised for use against journalists |
In practice
- Report to the FIA Cybercrime Wing with screenshots and links.
Cost and coverage
Police complaints are free; civil defamation actions are expensive.
Recent changes
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, signed on 29 January 2025, added an offence of spreading false information likely to cause fear, panic or disorder, punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 2 million, or both, and created a social media regulatory authority with powers to order the removal or blocking of content.
Where to go
- FIA Cybercrime Wing complaint portal and helpline.
- Digital Rights Foundation Cyber Harassment Helpline.
- Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for content removal.
Worth knowing
Two habits protect you in these jurisdictions: document what you receive, and think twice about what you post. Cybercrime provisions are used in both directions, and an angry reply can turn a complainant into a defendant. The same provisions used to protect individuals have been used against journalists and critics. Frame complaints around the specific harm to you personally.
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Copyright
Copyright is governed by the Copyright Ordinance 1962 as amended, administered by the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan. The term for literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works is the author's life plus fifty years. Fair dealing exceptions cover research, private study, criticism and review, and registration, while optional, is commonly used as evidence.
Pakistan's Copyright Ordinance of 1962 has been amended repeatedly and protects works for the author's life plus fifty years, shorter than the seventy years common in Europe. Enforcement is the persistent weakness: registration with the Intellectual Property Organisation is available and useful in proving ownership, but civil remedies are slow and piracy is widespread, particularly for software, textbooks and film.
Key points
| Statute | Copyright Ordinance 1962, as amended |
|---|---|
| Authority | Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan |
| Registration | Optional; the certificate is valuable evidence in practice |
| Enforcement | IP tribunals established for intellectual property disputes |
| IP tribunals | Specialised tribunals hear infringement cases |
Where to go
- Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan.
- IP tribunals in major cities.
- Collecting societies for music.
Worth knowing
Registration is not required for protection, but in practice courts and police give far more weight to a registered work, so registering matters more than the law suggests. Registration is legally optional but practically essential. Without a certificate, enforcement action rarely progresses.
Frequently asked questions
How long does copyright last in Pakistan?
The author's life plus fifty years for most works, with different terms for photographs, sound recordings and films. That is shorter than in the European Union, so a work can be in the public domain in Pakistan while still protected elsewhere — the law of the country where you use it governs.
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Online shopping
Protection comes from provincial consumer protection acts and consumer courts, together with the Competition Commission's rules on deceptive marketing. Consumer courts in each province hear claims directly, and the process is designed to be used without a lawyer. The practical reality online is that recovering money from an unresponsive seller depends far more on the payment channel than on the statute.
Key points
| Cooling-off | No general right in most of these jurisdictions; check the national statute |
|---|---|
| Defective goods | Statutory rights to repair, replacement or refund |
| Misleading advertising | Prohibited, with regulator enforcement |
| Payment disputes | Card chargebacks and, for mobile money, operator dispute processes |
| Small claims | Tribunals or small claims courts handle low-value disputes without lawyers |
| Cross-border | Enforcement against foreign sellers is difficult; the payment channel is the real remedy |
| Provincial consumer laws | Each province has its own act and consumer courts |
| Consumer courts | Hear claims directly, with limited formality |
| Deadlines | Provincial acts impose short limitation periods for complaints |
| E-commerce | Covered by general consumer law rather than specific rules |
In practice
- File in the consumer court of the province where you bought or received the goods.
- Act quickly: provincial limitation periods are short, often measured in weeks.
Cost and coverage
Regulator complaints are free; tribunal fees are low.
Recent changes
Regulators across these jurisdictions have become markedly more active against online marketplaces and against unsolicited digital marketing.
Where to go
- Provincial consumer courts.
- Competition Commission of Pakistan for deceptive marketing.
- State Bank for payment disputes.
Worth knowing
For a mobile money transfer, contact the operator within hours. Once the funds have been cashed out, recovery is effectively impossible whatever the law says. Provincial limitation periods for consumer complaints are unusually short. Establish the deadline before attempting informal resolution with the seller.
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Romance scams
A federal cybercrime agency with a complaint portal, and limited prospects of recovery.
Cybercrime complaints go to the federal investigation agency's cybercrime wing, through an online portal, a helpline or a regional office. Banks operate fraud lines, and the central bank runs a complaints portal for unresolved banking disputes. Recovery is realistic only where the report is made before the funds are withdrawn, which in practice means within the hour.
The Federal Investigation Agency's cybercrime wing takes complaints through an online portal and regional offices, and it is the designated route for online fraud. Recovery prospects are limited: investigations are slow and most losses are moved through mule accounts and cashed out quickly. The realistic value of reporting is evidential — you will need the complaint number for any dispute with a bank or a telecom operator.
Key points
| Reporting | Federal investigation agency cybercrime wing, online or by helpline |
|---|---|
| Banking complaints | Central bank complaint portal for unresolved disputes |
| Recovery window | Realistic only within the first hour |
| Mobile wallets | Blocking at the provider is faster than any other route |
| Evidence | Screenshots and transaction references are essential |
| Sextortion | Never pay; report and preserve evidence |
In practice
- Escalate to the central bank complaints portal if the bank does not resolve the matter.
Cost and coverage
Reporting is free.
Where to go
- Federal investigation agency cybercrime wing.
- Your bank or mobile wallet provider, immediately.
- Central bank complaints portal.
- Digital rights organisations offering free helpline support.
Worth knowing
Paying identifies you as a paying target.
Frequently asked questions
Are funds ever recovered in Pakistan?
Occasionally, where the receiving account is still holding the money and the bank acts quickly. In most cases the funds are moved and withdrawn within hours.
Sources
- National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) — successor to the FIA cybercrime wing: online complaint form, helpline 1799
- Your mobile money provider's fraud line — the fastest lever: call before the funds are withdrawn
- eConsumer.gov — international channel for scams committed from abroad
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General sources
- Government of Pakistan — official government portal