IHC refuses to admit PML-N’s petition against PECA Ordinance

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday refused to admit the petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Ordinance, 2022 for the hearing, saying the real stakeholders had already challenged it in the court and there was no need for a political party to file a petition, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Athar Minallah, on the occasion, remarked that the court wanted the political parties to settle these matters in the parliament rather than knocking at the doors of courts. “After all, political parties have the forum of parliament to discuss such issues, and reject ordinances like PECA as this right has been guaranteed to them by Article-89 of the constitution, ” he said, and urged these parties to play their role in strengthening the parliament rather than weakening it. 

CJ Minallah was of the view that the very act of bringing such matters to courts by the political parties amounted to an insult of the parliament. “These parties better not drag courts into such issues,” he emphasized.  

A day earlier, (Thursday, February 24), 24News had reported that challenging the PECA Ordinance in the IHC, PML-N had prayed to the court to declare it null and void since it was against the constitution.

Talking to the media after filing the petition, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the party had challenged four amendments made to the original PECA by the present government.

“This is not a government, but an ordinance-manufacturing factory. The government could not coerce the people into submission,” she said, and asked Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team to call it a day and go home.  

Reporter Ihtesham Kiani