Punjab governor pledges consultation before signing defamation bill

LAHORE: Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider on Sunday assured journalists that he would not sign the defamation bill without thorough consultation with the union, ARY News reported.

This announcement came during a meeting with the officials of the Joint Action Committee of Journalist Organizations, which included representatives from the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND).

During the meeting, the journalist bodies expressed their concerns, stating that the defamation bill is an attempt to hinder freedom of expression.

In response, Governor Punjab committed to further discussions with all stakeholders regarding the bill.

He stressed the need to take stakeholders into confidence on the controversial clauses and stated his intention to invite all concerned parties to the Governor House for these consultations.

He acknowledged that the bill should have undergone a consultation earlier and repeated his commitment to not sign the bill without a comprehensive review process.

Syed Hasan Murtaza from the People’s Party affirmed the party’s support for the media and clarified that they do not support the defamation bill in its current form.

Earlier this week, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan hinted at not assenting the Defamation Bill 2024 and sending it back to the provincial assembly for reconsideration.

In a statement, the governor said that he would ask the Punjab government to reconsider the bill. Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said that the bill should not have been passed ‘in a hurry’.

He said that all stakeholders including the journalist community must have been taken on board before the legislation.

“It would have been much better if the law is passed through consultation,” he added.