The stance taken by the independent lawmaker from Muzaffargarh was that the anti-terror law was contradictory to Article 4, 9 and 10 of the Constitution adding that the law could be used to settle personal scores and political victimisation of opponents.

The petition also said that the procedure to obtain a suspects remand defined in the act was not appropriate and requested the court to ban the Pakistan Protection Act 2014.

President Mamnoon Hussain had signed into law for two years the Protection of Pakistan Bill on July 11.

Earlier on July 2, the National Assembly had passed the legislation with a majority vote in a special one-day session of the 342-seat lower house.

The Senate had unanimously approved the Pakistan Protection Bill 2014 earlier on June 30.

The legislation has been criticised by various quarters and rights groups and is being viewed as a tool that can be used to suppress peaceful political opposition and criticism of government policies.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) went so far as to say that Pakistan’s new anti-terrorism law has given a “green light for abusing suspects” and should be withdrawn.