ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday announced the immediate withdrawal of a review petition filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the apex court for restoration of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA), 2016’s section 20.
In a series of tweets, Marriyum said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken strict notice of the petition filed by the FIA regarding the PECA.
“The prime minister and I learned a short while ago that THE FIA has filed a petition in SC against the IHC judgment regarding PECA Act 2016 to seek restoration of section 20 of the Act,” she said, terming it “squarely against the government’s stated policy and the principle of standing for and ensuring freedom of expression.”
So, she said: “Please note that this petition stands withdrawn immediately.”
Read more: FIA approaches Supreme Court against revocation of PECA
The minister regretted that the news about the petition reached them a little late because of the absence of mobile network signals in Bisham, a locality in Shangla District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the prime minister addressed a public gathering earlier in the day.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday challenged the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the revocation of the PECA in the Supreme Court. The petitioner had pleaded to the apex court to repeal the order of the IHC of April 6.
President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance on February 20 to amend the PECA 2016, making online defamation a non-bailable, cognisable offence. Under the amended laws, the jail term for defamation was also increased from three years to five years. The PTI government had also incorporated Section 20 in the PECA which granted FIA ‘dominating powers’ regarding cybercrime.
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