Constitution 1973 § Article 19 — Freedom of speech, etc.

Statutory text (English)

Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence.

Source and verification

Source citation: Constitution Article 19: Pakistan Code portal PDF p.24, ingested 2026-09-15. Footnote: '[commission of]' subs. by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1975 (Act No. LXXI of 1975), s.4 (w.e.f. 21-11-1975). v2 CORRECTION: earlier seed wrongly read 'defamation' — official text reads '[commission of] or incitement to an offence'. Human admin re-check recommended.

Verification status: verified · Text status: verified

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Official Urdu text status: pending_official_urdu_text. Where official Urdu wording has not been sourced, Qanoon does not substitute an unverified translation for the statutory text.

Amendment references

• Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1975 (Act No. LXXI of 1975) — In Article 19, substituted '[commission of]' (earlier seed incorrectly showed 'defamation' — corrected in v2). NEW in v2. verified

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