ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Farhatullah Babar has filed one more petition to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) amendment ordinance, ARY News reported on Saturday.
In the new petition, PPP’s Farhatullah Babar made secretaries of law and information technology (IT) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director-general parties.
The petition sought to declare the PECA amendment ordinance unconstitutional as it violates the fundamental rights of Pakistanis.
On March 1, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had clubbed all pending petitions against the amendment in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) ordinance.
READ: MEDIA BODIES’ JOINT PETITION CHALLENGES PECA AMENDMENT IN IHC
Yesterday, the IHC had summoned the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan in a personal capacity in a case related to the Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA).
IHC Chief Justice, Athar Minallah issued the order while hearing the plea of the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) against the PECA ordinance. The PBA in its plea claimed that the ordinance has been released to promote self-censorship and the president must have strong grounds before issuing any ordinance.
The PECA ordinance should be taken down, the PBA had pleaded with the court. The IHC after issuing notices to the respondents in the case has also directed the AGP to appear before it in person. The court had clubbed all the petitions against the PECA ordinance.
Earlier this week, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had announced that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is ready to withdraw amendments recently made in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA) through a presidential ordinance.
READ: PML-N, PPP SEEK REPEAL OF PECA ORDINANCE IN NA RESOLUTIONS
The minister made these remarks while speaking to a private news channel.
Fawad Chaudhry had said the government has handed over the mandate to Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi regarding the amendments in PECA law.
from ARY NEWS https://ift.tt/ZBHb8hc
