In first hearing as acting IHC top judge, Justice Dogar takes up plea against Peca changes – Pakistan

Judge Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, the newly appointed president of the Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC), made a petition on Monday that challenged recent changes to the country’s cyber -room laws as their first case in the court.

Judge Dugar swore as the Interim Supreme Court of IHC last week in a ceremony boycotted by his fellow judges, who together with four judges of the Supreme Court and the bodies of some lawyers, had opposed several transfers of judges.

New provisions promulgated last month through the Law on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (amendment) (PEC), 2025 introduces harder penalties so the government considers “false news”, the expansion of the state supervision of digital platforms and The creation of new regulatory organisms monitor social networks.

Judge Dogar was presented today by the Association of IHC Journalists (IHCJA) last week. The newly elected president of IHCJA, Hussain Ahmed Chaudhry, and General Secretary Raja Shehzad had challenged the amendments to Peca.

The petition had mentioned the Pakistan Federation through the secretary of IT and telecommunications as surveyed. He alleged the Court to declare the ultra vires amendments to the Constitution and demolish them.

The lawyer Mian Samiuddin appeared today in the Court on behalf of the body of the journalists, while Chaudhry and other members of IHCJA were also present.

When the Judge Dragar heard the petition, he ordered that he be a club with other Sub Judice supplications on the matter and subsequently transferred the case to Judge Inaam Ameen Minhas, who heard one of those requests last week.

At one point, Samiuddin urged the court to form a larger bank to listen to the case, to which the Judge Dugar replied that Judge Minhas would also decide on that request.

“When is the case against the Peca amendment law?” The president of interim justice asked.

The lawyer Samiuddin replied that the procedures of the declaration assumed by Judge Minhas on February 11 had been postponed for two weeks.

He stressed that the Court of Protection of Social Media and the Regulatory Authority and Protection of Social Networks, which will be formed under the amendments, would be constituted by the Government.

“Authority and court would be appointed by the Government, and can also dissolve them. There is no independence in them, ”he said.

Subsequently, the IHCJA petition was ordered to club with other relevant supplications.

Journalists organize protests, hunger strike

Journalists have assaulted legislation as an “attack on freedom of expression”, while the opposition PTI vociferantly protested the hurried passage of legislation in Parliament.

Amnesty International has also raised concerns, reporters without borders (RSF), the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, digital rights activists and the European Union.

In the latest criticisms of the changes to the laws of Peca, RSF said the amendments were a “dangerous tool in the hands of the authorities” that can be used to “silence critics and control the information” and urged the government to repeal them.

The renowned television presenters also approached the IHC on February 7 against the changes to the laws of Peca, trying to declare and no void.

The hunger strike fields were established throughout the country on February 12 in response to a protest called by the Federal Journalists Union (PFUJ) of Pakistan against the Peque amendments.

As the protest continued the next day, the PFUJ warned that agitation would continue even if the government could have a favorable decision of the courts.



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