The PMLN Government in Punjab has recently introduced the Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 for electronic, print, and social media. The Punjab Assembly passed the bill without having a proper discussion. The bill will become law after the approval of the Governor of Punjab. The Journalist organizations have unanimously rejected the Bill as being undemocratic and draconian. The critics of this bill point out that the main aim is to strangulate dissenting voices. For them, this bill restricts the freedom of expression and media. The Journalist is opposing the bill due to the vague definition of Journalist and newspaper. The other matter of contention is the imposition of preliminary fines without a trial.
According to the Defamation Bill 2024, special tribunals will be established to deal with fake news and purposeful misinformation. The Punjab government through this bill has also increased the fine and punitive damages.
If the purpose of this bill is to strengthen the defamation law and to stop the spread of fake news and misinformation then this bill is not going to help. There is no doubt that we need a law to regulate social media without compromising the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and media.
PML-N was the Champion of free media and democratic rights while in opposition. Since PML-N came into power after the February General Elections, it has been trying to stifle the media and freedom of expression. The Federal Government is working on digital media regulatory authority to control social media. The Journalist bodies are voicing their concerns regarding this new authority.
The Punjab Government should sit with different stakeholders to make the defamation law acceptable for all. The way the Punjab Government is trying to impose this new law will make matters even worse. The Journalist unions and other bodies seem determined to oppose this bill. This situation is not looking good who just came into power. This bill in its current form is likely to be used against opposition, dissenting voices, and critics. The government is trying to make it difficult to criticize public officeholders and constitutional officeholders. This Law will criminalize criticism of the policies and decisions of the government and officials.
Pakistanis need more freedom and rights to strengthen democracy and the political process. The democratic governments should not encourage authoritarian trends and traditions.
