Lahore High Court (LHC) judge Shahid Karim annulled Sedition Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on Thursday.
In its order, the court ruled that the government used the sedition law against its rivals after citizens challenged it in court. The judgment on the petitions of Selman Abuzar Niazi and others was given today by Justice Karim.
Those who spoke against the government had been charged under sedition provisions, according to the petitions.
This petition argued that the sedition act was enacted in 1860 and thus represents British colonial rule. According to the article, this law was used to register cases of slaves upon request.
Despite the Constitution of Pakistan providing every citizen with freedom of expression, Section 124-A is still imposed on those who speak against the rulers. A petitioner asserts that Section 124-A of sedition has been used for political purposes and should be repealed.
What is 124-A?
Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) is a law that pertains to the offence of “Sedition”. Sedition is defined as any conduct, speech or publication that seeks to incite people to oppose the government or the state by force, or creates hatred or contempt for the government or the state.
Section 124-A of the PPC states that “whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
