Acting Punjab Governor Malik Ahmad Khan signs Defamation Bill 2024

LAHORE – According to Dunya News, Acting Punjab Governor and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan signed the highly controversial Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 on Friday.

The bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly last month and then sent to Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider for approval. The governor refused to sign the bill and expressed some reservations. Following that, the Punjab government held a meeting with the governor, which proved unsuccessful.

According to sources, following the meeting with the governor, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) contacted President Asif Ali Zardari, who advised the governor to go on leave.

The Punjab governor went on leave from June 6 to 12, after which Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan took over as acting governor and signed the bill the next day (June 7).

The Governor House confirmed that the acting governor had signed the Defamation Bill 2024. After signing the bill, the summary was sent to the Ministry of Law, which will send out a notification. Following the notification, the defamation law will formally go into effect in Punjab and apply to all citizens.

Punjab Assembly

The Punjab Assembly passed the Defamation Bill 2024, presented by Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, on May 20, despite opposition and journalist protests.

“Subject to the provisions of this Act and any other law for the time being in force, defamation shall be a civil wrong and the person defamed may initiate an action under this Act without proof of actual damage or loss and, where defamation is proved, general damages shall be presumed to have been suffered by the person defamed,” the legislation states.

The bill will also apply to fake news distributed via YouTube and social media platforms. Under the law, tribunals will be established to hear defamation cases. The tribunals will be required to decide the case within six months.

Ahmed Khan Bhachar, the opposition leader in the Punjab assembly, called the Defamation Bill 2024 a “black law”. He made the remarks after the opposition benches’ amendments were rejected by the House. During the session, opposition lawmakers protested loudly and tore up copies of the bill.

Journalist leaders believed that the government stabbed them in the back after negotiating the bill.

How Will the Law Work?

According to the Punjab government, which is led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the bill addresses misinformation on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, allowing defamation cases to be filed against those who spread fake news.

The defamation bill proposes fines of up to Rs3 million for spreading fake news and special tribunals to hear defamation cases, with quick verdicts expected. The tribunal can make a decision in six months.

The bill also states that the high court will hear cases involving allegations against individuals holding constitutional offices.