The Sindh Superior Court issued a notice to the Federal Government and requested an answer regarding a petition against the PCA law within two weeks.
The Bank of two members, led by the judge of the Superior Court of Sindh, Judge Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, heard the petition challenging the PCA law.
The court asked: “What’s wrong with this law? Anyone who is not spreading the false news faces a punishment?”
The petitioner’s lawyer, lawyer Ali Tahir, raised the fundamental issue of who determines what is false or true. The president of the Supreme Court commented that not all decisions are made by the courts; Some are made by the authorities. “You also have the right to appeal against the decisions of the authorities.”
The lawyer Ali Tahir argued that such decisions should be taken by the court, since they involve fundamental rights. The president of the Supreme Court responded, saying that if it is fundamental rights, then the case must be heard by a constitutional bank.
The lawyer Ali Tahir cited the case of Cement Atock, where the court had decided that regular banks could review the constitutional validity of any law.
The Court issued a notice to the federal government and ordered that an answer be presented within two weeks, postponing the hearing for two weeks.
Previously, Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), together with civil society and journalistic organizations, challenged the 2025 Peca amendment law in the Superior Court of Lahore.
The opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Ahmed Bachhar, together with others, presented the petition against the PCA 2025 law through the lawyer Azhar Siddique. The petition has appointed the provincial government, the main secretary and others as respondents.
The petition argues that the law of amendment Peca violates article 19-A of the Constitution. It establishes that the law does not define “false news”, which allows the authorities to label any news as false and act for political reasons.
According to the request, the amended law requires that journalists reveal their news sources, which is a violation of journalistic ethics. The petition asks the court to declare the unconstitutional sin amendment law and the annulment. In addition, the Court urges to stop any action under the law until a final decision is made.
