The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday refused to hear a petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment Ordinance, 2022, saying that the real stakeholders had already challenged it in court and there was no need for a political party to file a petition.
On the occasion, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Justice Athar Minallah stated that the court preferred political parties to resolve their differences in the legislature rather than approaching the courts. “After all, political parties have the platform of parliament to examine such problems, and they have the power under Article 89 of the constitution to reject ordinances like PECA,” he said, urging political parties to play a role in strengthening rather than weakening the parliament.
The very act of political parties taking such things to the courts, according to CJ Minallah, was an insult to the parliament. He added, “These parties had better not drag the courts into such situations.”
The PML-N had challenged the PECA Ordinance in the IHC the day before (Thursday, February 24), requesting that the court declare it null and void because it was unconstitutional.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, a PML-N spokesman, told the media after the appeal was filed that the party was contesting four revisions made by the current government to the original PECA.
“This is an ordinance-producing factory, not a government.” She told Prime Minister Imran Khan and his colleagues to call for a day and go home because the government couldn’t force the people into submission.
