LHC submits journalists’ request to suspend libel law

LAHORE: The LAHORE High Court (LHC) has accepted the petition of journalists demanding suspension of the Defamation Law passed by the Punjab government.

LHC Judge Amjad Rafiq will hear the case on June 14.

Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Arshad Ansari and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) Secretary Tariq Mehmood have filed a lawsuit against the law.

Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) Secretary Tariq Mehmood have challenged the law. The plaintiffs’ legal representatives, advocate Khawaja Tariq Rahim and advocate Azhar Siddique, will present the arguments in court.

They were of the opinion that the defamation law was a black law and contrary to the Constitution of Pakistan.

They argued that the Constitution recognizes the fundamental right to freedom of expression and added that a democratic society and the freedom of citizens could not exist without freedom of expression.

They claimed that the government wanted to create anarchy in the country by using the controversial law for its political purposes.

They argued that the defamation law constituted discriminatory treatment in view of the Pemra and Digital Rights Protection Authority (PECA) laws and the Journalists Protection Act, adding that there is no specific law under the Constitution that can target a particular segment.

They considered that defamation law was a federal jurisdiction and that the provinces therefore had the power to enact laws in this regard.

Pakistan’s constitution, the country’s laws and higher court rulings provide journalists with protection to keep their sources secret.

They appealed to declare the current law null and void.