Courtesy LHC
Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday struck down Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), popularly known as the sedition law, describing it as inconsistent with the Constitution.
According to Article 124-A, anyone who attempts to “bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the federal or provincial government established by law” can be punished with life imprisonment and fined, or sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and a fine. Hearing a set of petitions against the law, with citizens arguing that it was primarily used to target political opponents, Justice Karim pronounced his judgment, which had earlier been reserved. A detailed, written order has not yet been released.
The petitions against Article 124-A had argued that it was enacted in 1860 during British colonial rule and was used to target citizens who were treated as “slaves.” They had maintained that the law was in violation of the Constitution, specifically Article 19, which grants every Pakistani the right to freedom of expression. They had urged the court to set aside the law, as it was primarily used for political victimization.
Quoting recent cases of Shahbaz Gill, Mohsin Dawar, and Ali Wazir, the petitions had noted that they were prosecuted under sedition charges along with several journalists and other political leaders. They had stressed that almost all individuals prosecuted under Section 124-A were subsequently acquitted, as the law’s enforcement was often based on “vague, ambiguous, bald, and uncertain allegations.”