Reacting to Prime Minister Imran Khan's address to the nation in which he had defended the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA) Ordinance, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah has said that the prime minister seemed unaware that other laws for contempt already existed. “In Pakistan the law is always only used against critics,” he added.
The IHC issued notice to the attorney general of Pakistan over a plea filed by former president of Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Maqsood Butt challenging the controversial amendments made to PECA.
At a hearing on Tuesday, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah said that the court would hear the petition as it was filed by the former president of the LHC bar. Previously, the chief justice had dismissed pleas from the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) challenging the PECA amendments, advising the political parties to take up the matter in the Parliament instead.
CJ Minallah further ordered to combine all of the petitions against the PECA amendments and barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from acting on the ordinance under review.
In his address to the nation on Monday night, Prime Minister Imran Khan defended the PECA ordinance, explaining that his administration “brought this law because obscene content is disseminated on social media. Doctored photos are being shared online. Even the country’s prime minister is not spared.”
Following the promulgation of the new ordinance, civil society and lawyer group have pushed back against the 'draconian' amendments. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also filed a petition challenging the ordinance, arguing that the government had tried to "sneak amendments to existing laws at the eleventh hour” without seeking input or approval from the upper house of Parliament.
The IHC issued notice to the attorney general of Pakistan over a plea filed by former president of Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Maqsood Butt challenging the controversial amendments made to PECA.
At a hearing on Tuesday, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah said that the court would hear the petition as it was filed by the former president of the LHC bar. Previously, the chief justice had dismissed pleas from the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) challenging the PECA amendments, advising the political parties to take up the matter in the Parliament instead.
CJ Minallah further ordered to combine all of the petitions against the PECA amendments and barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from acting on the ordinance under review.
In his address to the nation on Monday night, Prime Minister Imran Khan defended the PECA ordinance, explaining that his administration “brought this law because obscene content is disseminated on social media. Doctored photos are being shared online. Even the country’s prime minister is not spared.”
Following the promulgation of the new ordinance, civil society and lawyer group have pushed back against the 'draconian' amendments. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also filed a petition challenging the ordinance, arguing that the government had tried to "sneak amendments to existing laws at the eleventh hour” without seeking input or approval from the upper house of Parliament.