LHC serves notice to federal govt over amended Official Secrets Act

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court served notice to the federal government over a petition challenging amended Official Secrets Act, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The high court rejected plea to issue restraining order against the amended legislation.

Federal government, the ministries of law and interior were made respondents in the petition.

“What happened was not held in the history of the country,” the court remarked. “Now they are talking about fundamental rights in their defence”.

“What was the emergency to file the petition during the court vacations,” bench questioned.

Petitioner Mohammad Muqsit Saleem advocate presented his arguments in the court.

Petitioner termed the amended Official Secrets Act as an extra-constitutional legislation, in which the police and other law enforcement agencies have been entrusted with unconstitutional powers.

The law gives the police and other agencies powers to enter in a premises without warrant and arrest any citizen, according to the petition.

Under the new law, an arrested person could not compulsorily be produced in the court of a magistrate, according to the petition.

The constitution provides civil liberties and protection of fundamental human rights, petitioner said.

The high court has been pleaded to declare clauses 2,4 and 11 of the amended Official Secrets Act as extra constitutional and void.

The Senate on Sunday passed the amended Official Secrets Act after government withdrew a controversial clause that was criticized by the treasury and opposition benches in the house over unbridled powers delegated to intelligence agencies.