Lahore: The Punjab government’s defamation law has been challenged in the Lahore High Court.
In the anti-defamation petition filed by Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, the Chief Minister and Governor of Punjab have been named as parties by the Principal Secretary. Additionally, the Punjab government is also a respondent in the petition.
The petition argues that the defamation law contradicts the constitution and existing laws, noting that a new law should not be introduced when the Defamation Ordinance and the Defamation Act already exist. It also highlights that journalists were not consulted in the formulation of the defamation law.
The petition, filed in the Supreme Court, asserts that the defamation law was hastily enacted to control journalists and the media. It calls for the court to declare the defamation law invalid and to halt its implementation until a final decision on the petition is made.
It is noteworthy that Acting Governor of Punjab Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan signed the Defamation Bill passed by the Provincial Assembly yesterday, making it a formal law that will come into effect after its gazette notification.
