According to The Dawn, Pakistan's sedition law has been struck down by the Lahore High Court (LHC). The LHC said that Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code—also known as the sedition law—is "inconsistent with the Constitution."
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Sedition and inciting "disaffection" against the government were punishable by the law. In response to identical petitions seeking to repeal the sedition law, Justice Shahid Karim issued the verdict.
The Dawn reported that the sedition law stated: Whoever by words, either spoken or composed, or by signs, or by apparent portrayal, etc., brings or endeavors to bring into disdain or scorn, or energizes or endeavors to invigorate offense towards, the Bureaucratic or Common Government laid out by regulation will be rebuffed with detainment for life to which fine might be added, or with detainment which might reach out to three years, to which fine might be added, or with fine."
One of the petitions filed in opposition to the sedition law by Haroon Farooq noted that it had been "recklessly used in Pakistan" as a means of exploitation to restrict the right to free speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.
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