LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Friday filed a petition in the Lahore High Coud, challenging the new cyber crime bill.

Ishtiaq A Khan advocate filed the plea on behalf of the party, praying to the court to strike the bill down for being contrary to fundamental rights, including freedom of expression protected in the Constitution.

The petition stated that all segments of society were concerned at the proposed law.

It said political parties and their members could misuse the law against each other and one of its provisions carried charges of terrorism also.

The petition further stated that Section 18 of the impugned law had been included to curb defamation whereas defamation law already existed. It pleaded that the government should have improved the existing law instead of adding the same provision in the cyber crime law.

It complained that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been given unlimited powers to arrest any citizen and interfere in his privacy without any solid reason while it also questioned unprecedented punishment of fine and imprisonment for the offenders.