Marriyum announces withdrawal of petition seeking PECA section 20’s restoration

Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday announced the immediate withdrawal of a review petition filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the apex court for restoration of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA), 2016’s section 20.

In a series of tweets, Marriyum said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken strict notice of the petition filed by FIA regarding PECA.

“The Prime Minister and I learned a short while ago that FIA has filed a petition in SC against the IHC judgment regarding PECA Act 2016 to seek restoration of section 20 of the Act,” she said, terming it “squarely against the government’s stated policy and the principle of standing for and ensuring freedom of expression.”

So, she said: “Please note that this petition stands withdrawn immediately.”

She regretted that the news about the petition reached them a little late due to the absence of mobile network signals in Bisham, a locality in Shangla District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the prime minister addressed a public gathering earlier in the day.