The Punjab government has issued the gazette notification for the Punjab Defamation Law 2024, now applicable to all citizens in the province. This newly enacted law introduces stringent measures against defamation, including significant fines and social media restrictions.
Key provisions of the law include:
- Offenders will pay a fine of 3 million PKR before trial.
- Social media accounts of offenders will be blocked upon evidence of accusation.
- Tribunals will deliver verdicts within 180 days, and no opinions, including those from journalists and lawyers, can be shared on ongoing cases.
- High courts will hear cases involving personalities holding constitutional offices.
- The dissemination of fake news and dis/misinformation on print, electronic, and social media is prohibited.
The Defamation Bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly on May 20 and subsequently signed by Acting Punjab Governor Malik Ahmed Khan, as confirmed by the Governor House.
However, the law faces immediate legal challenges. Hours after the bill was signed, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court by journalists Jafar Ahmed Yar and Raja Riaz, represented by Advocate Nadeem Sarwar. The petition names the Punjab chief minister, governor, and government as parties and argues that the law violates the constitution and existing legal framework.
The petitioners claim the law was enacted without proper consultation with journalists and was rushed through to suppress media freedom. They request the court to nullify the law and halt its implementation pending a final decision.
This new legal framework and its immediate contestation highlight the tension between governmental regulation and freedom of the press, setting the stage for a significant judicial review in Punjab.
