Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter) 

The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a public interest forum based in Lahore, has urged the Punjab government to reconsider the recently passed Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024, deeming it “draconian”, “illogical”, and a violation of superior court judgments. The bill, passed by the Punjab Assembly on Monday, has sparked widespread criticism from journalists, civil society organizations, and the opposition.

JAP, in a letter to the Punjab government, expressed concerns that the bill curbs free media and violates Article 19 and 19A of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and expression. The letter urged the government to refrain from giving assent to the bill without considering the viewpoints of stakeholders.

More than 80 civil society organizations have also rejected the bill, terming it a gross infringement on fundamental rights and a “draconian and regressive” tool to suppress dissent and criticism. The bill’s provisions, including the broad definition of “journalists” and “newspapers” to include social media users, set a dangerous precedent for stifling freedom of expression online.

The alliance urged the Punjab government to heed civil society and stakeholders’ voices and reverse the effort to pass another regressive legislation akin to Peca (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act). The bill should be “scrapped entirely”, and the governor of Punjab should not sign it.

Instead, future attempts to address disinformation and hate speech on online platforms should be initiated with inclusive consultations at the national level. The JAP and civil society organizations have called for a reconsideration of the bill, citing its violation of democratic principles and its potential to suppress free speech and press freedom.