Lahore High Court recommends larger bench on plea challenging ‘phone tapping’

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has recommended the constitution of a larger bench on a petition challenging the federal government’s decision to mandate the ISI and other agencies to intercept citizens’ phones, here on Friday.

As per the details, Justice Farooq Haider of Lahore High Court heard the application of former MPA Ghulam Sarwar and remarked that important legal points have been raised in the application. The court proposed to constitute a larger bench to hear the petition.

An application was sent to the Chief Justice Lahore High Court for the formation of a larger bench.

Citizen Fahad Shabbir has filed a petition challenging the notification in the Lahore High Court through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, implicating the Prime Minister, the Federal Government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The petition states that the Government of Pakistan has issued a notification under Section 54 of the PTA Act, 1996 to allow the ISI to tap the phones of citizens but has not framed the rules under which the notification is issued. has been done

The petitioner contends that the Constitution allows citizens privacy and freedom of expression. And according to the Indian Supreme Court, phone tapping is a clear violation of the Constitution.

The petitioner has requested the court to declare the government’s notification of interception and recording of calls and messages by the ISI or other agencies illegal and make the notification annual till the final decision on the petition.

He also requested that the court direct the government to frame the rules under Section 54 of the PTA Act.

Six members of the Pakistan Bar Council have also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court challenging the notification in which the IT Secretary, Defense Secretary, Interior Secretary and PTA Secretary have been made defendants.