Says news of plea had reached to them a \u201clittle late\u201d as they were in Bisham for PML-N public gathering where the signals were weak.
\n ISLAMABAD
\nHours after the FIA approached the Supreme Court for the restoration of section 20 in the PECA Act 2016, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the plea has been \u201cwithdrawn immediately\u201d as it goes against the government\u2019s policy for freedom of expression. \u201cThe prime minister and I learned a short while ago that FIA has filed a petition in Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court judgment regarding PECA Act 2016 to seek restoration of section 20 of the Act. Please note that this petition stands withdrawn immediately, as it is squarely against the government\u2019s stated policy and principle of standing for and ensuring freedom of expression,\u201d tweeted the information minister. Aurangzeb said that PM Shehbaz Sharif has \u201ctaken strict notice of the filing\u201d of the petition. She shared that the news of the petition had reached to them a \u201clittle late\u201d as they were in Bisham for the public gathering \u201cduring the day where there were no signals\u201d. A spokesperson of the FIA also confirmed that the appeal has been \u201cwithdrawn immediately\u201d.
\n\u201cFIA without taking the interior ministry and government\u2019s approval had filed the petition,\u201d the spokesperson told Geo News.
\nPFUJ welcomes PM\u2019s decision
\nThe Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), which was made part of the petition welcomed PM Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s order for withdrawing FIA\u2019s petition. The journalists\u2019 body said that it has been appealing for an \u201curgent meeting\u201d of the Joint Action Committee to review the PECA act. \u201cFor cordial media govt relations dialogue is the only solution for ensuring right of expression and press freedom,\u201d said the PFUJ. Before the directives were issued to withdraw the petition, the PFUJ had expressed concern over the plea. In statement the journalists body had demanded the FIA to withdraw the plea and also appealed to PM Shehbaz to take notice of the petition.
\n\u201cThe war of freedom of expression will continue till the goals are achieved,\u201d PFUJ President Sahibzada Zulfiqar had said. He had also \u201cexpressed concern\u201d over the \u201clanguage used in the petition\u201d against the PFUJ.
\nWhat was FIA\u2019s petition?
\nEarlier, today the FIA had approached the Supreme Court for the restoration of the highly controversial section 20 of the PECA Act 2016.
\nIn its plea, the director general of the FIA, had contended before the Supreme Court whether the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah was \u201cjustified or correct\u201d to strike down the section 20 of the act.
\nThe agency had also asked the apex court to examine whether the Islamabad High Court \u201chas not advertently overstepped its legal parameters earmarked\u201d in Article 199. It wanted the court to determine whether the striking of the section was tantamount to \u201cundue intermeddling with the affairs of the federation\u201d.
\nThe FIA had also asked the Supreme Court to examins whether the IHC order was in \u201cdirect clash and conflict with Article 184 (3)\u201d. The FIA had also contended in its petition whether the IHC order was \u201cextending undue favour\u201d to the PFUJ \u201cwithout any lawful justification, as certain unscrupulous elements amongst them are involved in slinging unbecoming, unparliamentary, defamatory and sarcastic remarks and language upon the law-abiding citizens as well as the honourable judges of superior judiciary, the hierarchy of the Federation and the State institutions valiant armed forces\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Says news of plea had reached to them a \u201clittle late\u201d as they were in Bisham for PML-N public gathering where the signals were weak. ISLAMABAD Hours after the FIA approached the Supreme Court for the restoration of section 20 in the PECA Act 2016, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the plea has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-259094","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n