Supreme Court moved against Amended Official Secrets and Army Acts

ISLAMABAD: The issue of the President’s signing/not signing the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (Amendment) Bill has reached to the Supreme Court with a petition, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A petition, filed by Advocate Zulfiqar Bhutta in the apex court, has pleaded for an inquiry into the issue. The petitioner has made the federal government respondent in the case.

President Arif Alvi on Sunday denied signing the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Petitioner has pleaded for a court ruling to the government to contact the Supreme Court within 10 days.

The petitioner has also sought a restraining order against enforcement of the two laws till the plea remains in pending.

“The questions are being raised with regard to the legislation after the President’s statement,” according to the plea. “The people’s rights are directly related to the Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act,” the petitioner said.

Earlier, a petition filed in the Lahore High Court by Advocate Mohammad Muqsit Saleem, on Monday had challenged the two laws.

The plea filed in the wake of a statement from the President of Pakistan, asserting that he had not signed the Official Secrets Amendment Act bill, casting doubts on its validity and procedural correctness.

In the plea, the applicant stated that the act was not passed in accordance with the proper legislative procedure and requested the court to suspend the Official Secrets Amendment Act until a final decision.

Earlier, President Arif Alvi denied signing Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Arif Alvi took to X [formerly known as Twitter] and said God is his witness that he did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as he disagreed with these laws.