LAHORE - The defamation bill recently passed by the Punjab Assembly officials became law following the signature of Acting Governor Punjab Malik Ahmed Khan. However, this legislative move soon after authorization was promptly challenged in the Lahore High Court on Saturday. Initially, the defamation bill faced delay due to reservation expressed by the Governor Punjab Saleem Haider but subsequently it has been signed by the acting governor. The recently adopted law intends to address defamation across all media platforms, including, electronic, print and social media. It enables legal action against the spread of fabricated and harmful information without fact check, with emphasis on controlling fake news on social media and YouTube. The law prescribe the establishment of tribunals to handle defamation cases, mandating that they deliver verdicts within six months. It also includes a provision for penalty of up to Rs3 million for defamation damages. Following the passage, the bill faced considerable opposition from the provincial law makers and journalists. The provincial assembly witnessed heated debates, with opposition terming it a black law followed by symbolic protests, which included tearing up copies of the bill. Simultaneously, the journalists organisations also raised concerns, arguing that the bill was introduced hastily without taking media professionals into confidence. Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, naming Punjab government, Chief Minister, and Governor as respondents. The petition contends that the new defamation law contradicts existing legal frameworks, notably the defamation ordinance and act, adding that it is unconstitutional to introduce a new law under these circumstances. The petition further states that the law was enacted without consulting journalists and suggests it was designed to suppress media freedom. The petition calls for the defamation law to be declared null and void, seeking an immediate suspension of its implementation pending a final court decision.
The General Secretary of Pakistan People’s Party Central Punjab, Syed Hassan Murtaza, while reacting to the passage of the Defamation Bill 2024, said that the approval of the bill was given hastily, and its consequences would not be good. Murtaza believed that it would have been better to get all stakeholders on board before passing.