LHC registrar office accepts petition challenging Punjab Defamation Law

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Registrar Office declared the petition challenging the Punjab Defamation Law 2024 admissible and accepted the petition for hearing.

According to a report on Monday, LHC Registrar Office had earlier raised objections to the petition against the Punjab Defamation Law 2024 but later it accepted the petition after the petitioners removed the concerns.

The petition was filed in the LHC by journalist Jafar Ahmed Yar and Raja Riaz through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar.In the petition the Punjab chief minister and governor through principal secretary and Punjab government have been made parties.

The petitioners have taken the stance that the defamation law violates the constitution and law.

In the presence of the defamation ordinance and the defamation act, a new law cannot be made, they contended. The petitioner said the government did not make consultations with the journalists while enacting the new law.

He said the defamation law was brought in haste to curb freedom of journalists and media.

The petitioners prayed to the court to declare the defamation law null and void and stop its implementation till a final decision on the petition.

The Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 was passed by the Punjab Assembly on May 20 which was sent to Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider for approval.

The governor refused to sign the bill while expressing some reservations. After that the Punjab government held a meeting with the governor which bore no result.

Earlier the Governor House confirmed signing the Defamation Bill by acting Punjab Governor Malik Ahmed Khan.

The Ministry of Law has issued the notification of law in its gazette. After issuance of the notification the defamation law has formally come into force in Punjab and is applicable on every citizen.