Justice Anwar Hossain issued an order on various petitions filed by journalists, media organizations and civil society organizations seeking to repeal the law.
Lahore: (Urdu Point / Urdu Point / Pakistan Point News – March 31)street2026) the Lahore High court (LHC) on Tuesday requested the Attorney General Pakistan and Assistant Public Prosecutor Punjab To submit their responses to petitions that question the validity Punjab Defamation Act 2024, which has been criticized for its potential impact on freedom of expression.
Justice Anwar Hossain issued the order while Hearing Various petitions submitted by journalists, Media Organizations and Civil society Groups seeking to declare the law invalid.
The legislation he introduced Government of Punjab in June The authorities described Law No. 2024 as a measure to address the spread of false, misleading and defamatory content through publications and electronics. Social media Platforms. However, I encountered a strong opposition from political stakeholders, Media Representatives and human rights organizations.
Human Rights Commission Pakistan She described it as a potential threat to press freedom in the province.
Many petitions have been filed in court Challenging the legitimacy of the law.
during HearingLawyer Faisal Siddiqui, representative of press organizations, said that the legislative council in the province does not have the constitutional authority to legislate on defamation, stressing that the issue falls within the jurisdiction of the law. Federalism specialization.
He also raised concerns about provisions that grant additional guarantees to constitutional office holders and state employees, including the president, members of the armed forces and senior members of the judiciary.
Lawyer Asad Jamal, who represents journalists Mansoor Ali Khan and Benazir Shah, pointed out A He walks 15 mail on Social media by Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb. In that mailIt warned that action would be taken under the law against individuals allegedly spreading “fake news” in relation to the purchase of a luxury jet. He said the example shows how the law can be applied to pressure critics.
After the arguments, court It issued notices to relevant federal and provincial law officers and instructed the provincial government counsel to submit a record of the deliberations that took place in Punjab Assembly On legislation.
The case was postponed until April 7 (next Tuesday).