Major parties move NA for PECA ordinance repeal

PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, PPP’s Agha Rafiullah urge house to reject the controversial law

ISLAMABAD:

Major opposition parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), moved resolutions in the National Assembly seeking to get the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Ordinance 2022 thrown out.

The resolutions were submitted to the office of the National Assembly speaker under Rule 170(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007 by PPP’s Agha Rafiullah and PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb, who submitted the resolution on the directives of the PML-N president and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif said: “I, the undersigned, hereby give notice as per Rule 170(2) to move a resolution for disapproval of ordinance namely “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance 2022” I disapprove the ordinance and request my resolution to be laid in the House.”

In her letter, Aurangzeb, who is also the information secretary of the PML-N, urged the speaker to table the resolution in the house for voting. As per the NA rules, if the resolution under Rule170(2) was passed in the house then the ordinance would be annulled.

The PML-N decided to move the lower house of parliament against the “draconian” law after a delegation of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the journalist associations called on Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, Shehbaz had assured that his party would table a resolution in the lower house.

PPP resolution

In his resolution, Agha Rafiullah said, “I hereby give notice to move a resolution under the provisions of aforesaid rules for the disapproval of ordinance, namely the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance 2022.”

“Therefore, it is requested that this matter be brought to the National Assembly as soon as possible to give an opportunity to members of the National Assembly to discuss the said law and disapprove it,” the resolution read.

Read PM misguided on PECA Act: IHC CJ

After weeks of backlash from media bodies and bar councils, the government spokesperson, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hinted at the reversal of the controversial amendment.

The minister had made these remarks a day earlier, saying the government firmly believed in the freedom of expression.

PECA challenged

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear a petition filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Associations (PBA), other journalist associations, and senior journalists against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) Ordinance 2022 today (Friday). IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah will hear the case.