Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stalwart Raza Rabbani has introduced a bill in the Senate, seeking to amend the colonial-era sedition law of Pakistan.
Former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani moved the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the house that seeks to abolish the Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. The bill was introduced in the house, despite opposition of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafe (PTI). Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has referred the bill to the standing committee concerned for making further deliberations on it.
Senator Rabbani, while moving the bill, said that Pakistan inherited sedition law from the British. “This law has been used against the democratic forces in the past, and the practice continues even today,” he said, adding that some protesting students in Lahore had been booked under this law.
The government opposed the bill as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that no country in the world gives absolute power of freedom of expression. “We cannot abolish the law that protects security and sanctity of the country,” he said adding that those forces, with its abolishment, would get an opportunity who are fighting fifth-generation warfare against Pakistan.
Section 124 A, commonly known as Sedition Law states, “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
Former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani moved the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the house that seeks to abolish the Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. The bill was introduced in the house, despite opposition of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafe (PTI). Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has referred the bill to the standing committee concerned for making further deliberations on it.
Senator Rabbani, while moving the bill, said that Pakistan inherited sedition law from the British. “This law has been used against the democratic forces in the past, and the practice continues even today,” he said, adding that some protesting students in Lahore had been booked under this law.
The government opposed the bill as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that no country in the world gives absolute power of freedom of expression. “We cannot abolish the law that protects security and sanctity of the country,” he said adding that those forces, with its abolishment, would get an opportunity who are fighting fifth-generation warfare against Pakistan.
Section 124 A, commonly known as Sedition Law states, “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”