LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Punjab Governor Saleem Haider has stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) opposes the controversial defamation law passed by the provincial legislature earlier this month.
“I attempted to prevent the passage of the defamation bill as governor,” Haider remarked during a media interaction in Dubai on Sunday.
His comments came a day after interim Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan signed the bill into law in Haider’s absence.
On May 20, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024 amidst strong and noisy protests from the opposition, and significant backlash from journalists and rights organizations, including international groups.
“I did not sign the bill. However, it will become law automatically after 15 days,” Haider noted.
Nonetheless, he mentioned that legislation is necessary to prevent defamation of individuals on social media.
Governor Haider also announced plans to meet with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of media bodies to address their concerns once he returns to Pakistan.
The previous day, the central Joint Action Committee (JAC) of media bodies declared a boycott of government coverage, including official events like National Assembly and provincial assembly sessions, and the upcoming federal and provincial budgets, in protest against the defamation law.
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 issue and decided to protest the law.
Calling the Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, an affront to human values, the meeting announced a united struggle against the “black law” and plans to take effective legal action against it.
The media organizations resolved to consult with political parties and bar councils, and to approach the United Nations and other national and international human rights organizations regarding the controversial law.
They also stated that protests would be organized outside relevant government offices to oppose the defamation law.
