pr does not recognize -e option:
> echo "a\tb" | pr -e5
error: unexpected argument '-e' found
tip: to pass '-e' as a value, use '-- -e'
Usage: pr [OPTION]... [FILE]...
For more information, try '--help'.
The original GNU pr correctly recognizes it:
> echo "a\tb" | gnupr -e5
[...]
a b