Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court has upheld the government’s decision to ban the import of books from India and Israel.
In a detailed judgment delivered by Justice Aamer Farooq, the court ruled that the right to read is not an absolute right and can be restricted by the government under the law for reasons of national security and foreign policy.
The court upheld two notifications (SRO 927 and 928) issued by the federal government in 2019 that banned the import of books, magazines, and printed material from India and Israel. The bench stated that the government has full authority to take such decisions in matters related to trade, security, and foreign affairs.
The judgment made it clear that foreign policy and national security issues fall under the domain of the executive (the government), and courts should not interfere in such matters. The court observed that the government acted within its constitutional powers when it imposed the ban.
This ruling is significant because it confirms that the government can restrict certain rights, including the right to access foreign publications, when it considers them against the national interest.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions. Some people have welcomed it as a matter of national sovereignty, while others have expressed concern over limited access to books and knowledge from these countries.
The ban on importing books from India and Israel has been in place since 2019, but legal challenges were filed against it. With this judgment, the Constitutional Court has now put an end to the legal debate and upheld the government’s policy.
