Governor signs contentious Punjab Defamation Bill  

Acting Punjab Governor and Speaker of Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan approved the contentious Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024.

The bill, initially tabled in Punjab Assembly, was sent to Governor Punjab Sardar Salim Haider for approval. The governor however declined to sign it, and PML-N reached out to President Asif Ali Zardari, who advised the governor to take a leave of absence.

After refusing to take part, the Governor went on leave for a week during which Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan assumed the role of Acting Governor and signed the bill on June 7.

The signed bill was then sent to the Ministry of Law, which will issue a notification soon, formally enacting the defamation law in Punjab.

What is the bill?

The legislation allows individuals to initiate legal action without proving actual damage or loss. It also presumes general damages if defamation is proven.

Furthermore, this bill addresses fake news on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, allowing defamation cases against those spreading misinformation.

Special tribunals will be established to hear these cases, with a mandate to deliver verdicts within six months.

Opposition and journalists criticized the Defamation Bill, 2024 as a ‘black law’ after all proposed amendments by the opposition were rejected.