The Lahore High Court (LHC) struck down on Thursday Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), commonly known as the sedition law, Aaj News reported.

Justice Shahid Karim announced the verdict while hearing petitions seeking to annul the sedition law.

According to the law, “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”

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One of the petitions said that the law was recklessly being used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curb the right to free speech and expression. It added that over the past few years various politicians, journalists and activists had been booked under Section 124-A.

The petitions requested the court to declare Section 124-A of the PPC 1860 against the constitution and null and void.