Punjab defamation law challenged hours after its approval

Sun, June 09, 2024

The controversial legislation about defamation which imposes curbs on press freedom became a provincial law on Saturday after acting Governor Malik Ahmad Khan — a PML-N member — gave his assent to the bill in the absence of PPP-nominated Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, who had embarked on leave after assuring “consultations” on the Punjab Defamation Act 2024.

The law, which had already drawn much flak from journalists, civil society organisations, as well as the opposition, however, soon landed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) after a joint petition was filed by two journalists challenging its legality.

The petition asked the high court to strike down the defamation law, saying it violated the fundamental rights of citizens protected in the Constitu­tion. Journalists Riaz Ahmad Raja and Jaffar Ahmad Yar, who moved the pela, said that in the pre­sence of two legal instruments i.e. the Defa­mation Ordinance 2002 and the Punjab Defama­tion Act 2012, it would have been better to amend the existing laws rather than coming up with a whole new legislation.

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