Punjab defamation law: Media bodies announce boycotting assemblies' proceedings

• Media bodies term Punjab defamation bill against human values.
• Journalist associations to stage protests outside government offices.
• UN, national and int'l human rights organisations to be approached.

After the controversial Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, became law, the central Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies has announced boycotting the coverage of government affairs including official events, such as National Assembly and provincial assembly sessions and upcoming federal and provincial budgets to protest the approval of the legislation.

Acting Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan signed the controversial bill into law on Saturday.

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), held an emergency meeting to discuss the development and decided to record their protest against the law.

Terming the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, against the human values, the meeting announced to lead a joint struggle against the “black law” and to take effective legal action against it.

The media bodies decided to hold consultation with political parties and bar councils, and approach the United Nations and other national and international human rights organisations against the controversial law.

They said that demonstrations would be staged outside the relevant government offices in protest against the defamation law.

'Planned'

Reacting to the signing of the bill, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari slammed the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) deceptive attitude, saying that the party deceived journalists.

"The bill was signed by the acting governor by sending the Punjab governor on leave under a plan," said Ansari.

The senior journalist added that the PPP was apparently with the journalists and was conniving with the provincial government from within.

"A meeting of the action committee will be called soon and future strategy will be announced," said the journalist.

Law challenged in LHC

Meanwhile, soon after its approval today, the law was challenged in the Lahore High Court.

The petitions challenging the law have been filed by journalist Jaffar Ahmad Yar and a citizen Raja Riaz. In the pleas filed by the two individuals, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the governor, and the provincial government have been nominated as respondents.

The petition stated that the defamation law is against the Constitution and law. It added that a new law cannot be made in the presence of the Defamation Act.

The plea lamented that journalists were not consulted before the passing and approval of the defamation law.

"Defamation law was hastily introduced to control the media," the petition maintained, requesting the court to invalidate the "draconian" law.

The Punjab Assembly, on May 20, passed the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024 amid a strong and noisy protest by the opposition as well as immense backlash from journalists and rights bodies including those based internationally.