Pakistan High Court Sedition Case Protestors Freed Says This is not India
Pakistan High Court Sedition Case Protestors Freed Says This is not India
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
At least 23 workers from the two outfits were arrested by Islamabad Police for protesting against the arrest of PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen. They were all charged under Section 124-A and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), reported Pakistani news portal Dawn.com.
Athar Minallah, the chief justice of the Islamabad high court, hearing a case related to charges of sedition and abetting terrorism on Monday, spoke about India, insinuating that the country had violated the constitutional rights of protesters in spite of being a democracy.
“Everyone’s constitutional rights will be protected. This is Pakistan, not India,” Justice Minallah reportedly said in court. He was hearing the bail petitions of 23 workers of the Awami Workers Party (AWP) and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), who were arrested by the Islamabad Police on January 28 for protesting the arrest of PTM chief and well-known human rights activist Manzoor Pashteen.
Pashteen had accused the country’s military of human rights abuses in a speech delivered at Dera Ismail Khan earlier in January, for which the government pressed charges of sedition and “criminal conspiracy” against him. Thereafter, he was denied bail by a local court and has been in custody.
On January 28, the Islamabad Police arrested the protesters and pressed sedition charges
On February 2, the court was told that Section 124-A (related to sedition) had been deleted, but Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 had been inserted in the First Information Report (FIR) against the protesters.
Following this, the IHC on Tuesday had sought an explanation from a magistrate for invoking sedition charges against those who were taken into custody during the protest.
It led Justice Minallah to seek an explanation from the magistrate on what grounds these charges were pressed against the protesters.
Justice Minallah stated, “We don’t expect that a democratic government will curb freedom of expression. An elected democratic government cannot place curbs on freedom of expression. (We) shouldn’t fear criticism.” He said, “The constitutional courts will protect the constitutional rights of the people. Everyone’s constitutional rights will be protected. This is Pakistan and not India.”
According to a news report in Dawn, on Monday morning, when the bail hearings resumed at the high court, Hamza Shafaqaat, Islamabad’s deputy commissioner, informed the chief justice that the government had dropped all charges against the protesters.
Justice Minallah said, “If you want to protest, get permission (of the police). If you don’t get permission, the court is here.”
Islamabad advocate general Tariq Mehmood Jahangir had stated that Pakistan had been fighting terrorism for two decades and the “secret agenda” of the protesters was worrisome. The news report quoted Jahangir as saying, “No one should say anything against the state,” and sought a written order against those who voice dissent or “make hate speeches”.
In response, Justice Minallah said that the state nor its institutions were “so weak” that mere words would have any impact.
This clearly shows how powerful and intelligent is the High Court Judge.
It is the fundamental duty of every judge to protect the freedom of expression.
Now it is time for India and Indian Judiciary to scrap sedition law as majority times it is misused, example draw a carton or show a banner for such a petty crimes sedition law is applied in India.
Speak against CAA and you may end up in Jail and sedition case may get filed against you.
Last month, two women in Karnataka’s Bidar district were arrested after the students of a school performed a play criticising the Citizenship Amendment Act
Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam has been charged with sedition in five states – Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Delhi – for allegedly making incendiary remarks. In a speech at Aligarh Muslim University on January 16, Imam allegedly told protestors to “cut off Assam from India” by occupying the “Muslim-dominated Chicken’s Neck”.
The Mumbai Police filed a sedition case against 51 people earlier this month for allegedly chanting slogans in support of Imam
Height of the misuse is that 7-year-old kids also got charged under Sedition, then also Supreme Court of India did not take charge of that case sumoto and discharged or discharged kids.
Do not think that Pakistan Judge insulted India. Judge said that the state nor its institutions were “so weak” that mere words would have any impact.
Do you think India is so weak because of banner or shouting india will get seperated from any state.
Let us Hope Indian Judiciary Will Scrap the Sedition Law.
Reality views by sm –
Tags – Sedition Case Pakistan Court Indian Court Democracy
