LAHORE: Acting Governor Punjab Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has signed the Defamation Bill passed by the provincial assembly to curb the dissemination of misleading and factually incorrect news reports.
The defamation bill will go into effect after being officially published in the federal gazette.
The new regulation will cover print, electronic, and social media. The bill allows for the filing of defamation lawsuits against anyone who propagates false and misleading news stories.
The provisions of the Defamation Bill would also apply to the distribution of fake news on platforms such as YouTube and social media.
It allows legal action against news items that impair a person’s private life or public reputation. The law proposes establishing specialist tribunals to hear defamation complaints. These tribunals will be obligated to rule on the cases within six months.
This bill provides compensation of up to 3 million rupees. A High Court bench can hear cases against individuals holding constitutional positions.
After being passed by the Punjab Assembly, Punjab Governor Saleem Haider expressed reservations about signing the bill.
Haider, who is from the PPP, had assured a group of journalists that he would not sign the bill into law without taking into account all the factors. However, the bill was signed by the acting governor who is from the PMLN.
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