LAHORE: The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca) Ordinance 2022 has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) through a constitutional petition, seeking its annulment for being in violation of fundamental rights.
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Advocate Chaudhry Saeed Zafar approached the LHC against the Peca Ordinance. The petitioner pointed out that the ordinance violated the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
He argued that Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of expression, and the said Ordinance was a sheer violation and in contradiction of Article 19.
The petition objected that the issuance of the ordinance in the presence of the parliament was a violation of the Constitution. The petition asked the court to annul the Peca Ordinance 2022. In the Peca Amendment Ordinance, issued by President Arif Alvi, the definition of a person has been included any company, association, institution or authority. Section 20 of the ordinance had been amended to increase the sentence from 3 years to 5 years in case of an attack on the identity of any person.
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The person filing the complaint would be the aggrieved party, his representative or guardian, the offence had been declared admissible, and it would be non-bailable, media reported. The trial court would decide the case within six months and submit details of the case to the high court every month.
