The Pakistan Press Foundation has challenged the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 as being ‘ultra vires’ to the constitution, especially Article 19, which gives every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression.
In a petition, lawyer Yasser Latif Hamdani has argued that despite a lapse of two years the ministry is yet to frame rules under Section 37 of the PECA and continues to block online content with impunity and in violation of the requirements of the law.
Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom and the Ministry of Law and Justice through the deputy attorney general before adjourning the matter for three weeks for reply by the federation of Pakistan.
