Despite objections from the journalist community, the Punjab Assembly passed the controversial defamation law on Monday, with a majority vote rejecting all the amendments proposed by the Opposition.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman introduced the ‘Punjab Defamation Bill 2024’ in the Assembly. The speaker allowed the Opposition to present its amendments, but the Treasury ultimately rejected them.
The Opposition criticized the bill, calling it a ‘black law,’ and tore up copies in protest. Members of the Press Gallery Committee boycotted the Assembly proceedings and staged a protest outside the Assembly building
The bill applies to print, electronic, and social media. It allows for defamation cases to be filed for spreading false and unrealistic news, including on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Legal action can be taken for news that harms an individual’s private life and public reputation.
Special tribunals will be set up to handle defamation cases, with a requirement to decide each case within six months. Journalists found guilty of defamation will face a fine of three million rupees.
If accusations are made against individuals holding constitutional positions, a bench of the Lahore High Court will hear the case. The government will provide legal assistance for women and transgender individuals involved in defamation cases.
Earlier, journalistic organizations had met with Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, requesting a few days’ delay to present their suggestions about the bill, but the government rejected this request. The Opposition submitted over ten amendments to the bill in the Punjab Assembly.
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