Abstract

Freedom of expression is one of the most cherished fundamental rights. It also imperative in all fields including cyber or digital space. The Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA-2016) was enacted in 2016 to regulate cyber or digital space in the country. This study critically comprehends PECA-2016 with regard to online expression in Pakistan.Doctrinal as well as non-doctrinal(socio-legal) research method are adopted in present study. Under nondoctrinal(socio-legal) methods, unstructured interviews with three legal experts were conducted. This study finds out that there are several provisions in the PECA-2016 which adversely affect online freedom of expression in the country. It is concluded that some of the provisions of the PECA-2016 should be improved or repealed to bring it in conformity with freedom of expression principles.

Key words: Electronic Crimes, Freedom of Expression, Online Expression, CyberSpace