Notices issued to Centre, Punjab in plea against Cybercrime Act

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to federal and provincial governments on a petition challenging disputed Cybercrime Act 2016.Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Naqvi issued this order on a petition moved by Advocate Ishtiaq of Pakistan Awami Tehreek. He argued that various provisions of the law were in violation of fundamental rights.

At the outset of the proceedings, the lawyer contended that the cybercrime law might be used for political persecution and to strangle freedom of expression.The petitioner-lawyer questioned section 18 of the impugned law that, according to him, introduced another law of defamation. He said the law gave unbridled powers to Federal Investigation Agency allowing it to grab data from mobile phone and computer of any citizen without prior investigation.

He pointed out that the impugned law had been made identical to Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 by including a section of cyber terrorism. He argued that two parallel laws could not be enforcement in the country at the same time. 

He requested the court to annul the Cybercrime Act 2016 after declaring it in contradiction with fundamental rights of citizens envisaged in the Constitution. The court will resume on September 26.