ISLAMABAD: During the hearing of a petition challenging the Pakistan Protection Act 2014, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the federal government and the interior and law ministries to file a response within two weeks.

The hearing was conducted by IHC Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi.

Advocate Saeed Khursheed said the PPA was in violation of fundamental human rights, adding that it provided police personnel with unlimited powers.

Member of National Assembly (MNA) Jamshed Dasti on Monday had challenged the PPA in court.

In the petition filed through his counsel Advocate Saeed Khurshid, Dasti had stated that the Act could be used for political and ideological victimisation of the government’s opponents.

The police culture in Pakistan generally, and in south Punjab particularly, is not reliable at all, the MNA had claimed, as according to him the police force had been witnessed using excessive authority in 90 per cent of the cases.

PPA challenged by Dasti in IHC

Earlier on July 2, the National Assembly had passed the law with a majority vote in a special one-day session of the 342-seat lower house. The Senate had unanimously approved it 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.