It seems PM was not briefed about PECA; IHC says, ‘In Pakistan the law is always used against critics’

What happened: On March 1, the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice, Athar Minallah, during a hearing, said that it seemed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had not been appropriately briefed about the PECA 2016 amendment ordinance. During the hearing of a petition which termed the ordinance as a draconian law, the CJ remarked that the law here is being used against the critics.  Details: On the other hand, the petitioner’s lawyer, Hassan Irfan, stated,  “Islam also gives freedom of expression.”  Whereas, it is pertinent to mention that on February 28, the premier said that the PECA amendment is necessary for Pakistan and,  “We have brought the law so that the dirt on social media can be stopped.”  At the same time, the IHC CJ dismissed pleas from PML-N and PPP that challenged the amendments and said that the matter should be taken up in the parliament instead.  More:   However, the Islamabad High Court barred FIA from acting on the amendment and instructed to combine all the petitions against PECA. Whereas, the amendments in PECA has received backlash from both international and local organisations as the Amnesty International has also condemned the ordinance, and the PFUJ filed a petition challenging the amendment.