Lahore HC strikes down sedition law used to suppress free speech in Pakistan
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Islamabad: The Lahore High Court has struck down the controversial Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, also known as the sedition law. This law is notorious for being charged on people for inciting 'disaffection' against the government.
Justice Shahid Karim, while abolishing the law on Thursday, said that it is inconsistent with the Constitution, as reported by The Dawn.
According to The Dawn, the sedition law, which stated that anyone who incites disaffection towards the Federal or Provincial Government shall be punished with imprisonment for life or a term of up to three years, has been struck down by the Lahore High Court.
The law has been frequently misused in Pakistan to suppress the right to free speech and expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.
Haroon Farooq filed a petition against the sedition law, arguing that it has been recklessly used to book politicians, journalists, and activists over the past few years.
The petition stated that Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code is an illegitimate restriction on the constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech and expression, as well as other constitutional freedoms.
