On Thursday, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) declared Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) null and void. Section 124-A deals with sedition and has been a contentious issue in Pakistan’s legal and political landscape for many years.
The decision was made following a set of petitions filed by citizens who had challenged the sedition law because the government was using it to suppress dissent and criticism from its rivals. Selman Abuzar Niazi and other petitioners had filed these petitions, arguing that sedition cases had been wrongly registered against individuals who spoke out against the government.
The petitioners had argued that the sedition law was enacted in 1860 during British colonial rule and that it was an archaic law that violated the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Furthermore, they argued that the sedition law was being used for political purposes and should be struck down.
The sedition law, as outlined in Section 124-A of the PPC, punishes individuals who use words, signs, visible representation, or other means to bring the government into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against it. The punishment can range from imprisonment for life to imprisonment for up to three years, along with a fine.
The petitioners had further argued that the sedition law was being used to suppress political dissent and criticism, a clear violation of their constitutional right to freedom of expression. They contended that the sedition law had been used to silence government critics and opposition figures and had no place in modern democratic society.
Justice Karim had reserved the judgment on the petitions earlier, and he delivered it on Thursday. In his ruling, he declared that Section 124-A of the PPC was unconstitutional and violated the fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to freedom of expression.
The decision has been hailed by civil society activists and opposition politicians who had long been calling for repealing the sedition law. However, it remains to be seen if the government will challenge the decision in a higher court or if it will take steps to repeal the sedition law.
