Our political leaders don’t seem to learn from their failures. The Punjab Assembly is scheduled to vote on a new defamation law for the province, which the government claims is aimed to’stop bogus news’. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the provincial information minister sought to assuage the media’s growing concerns about the proposed law, saying: “[Only] a person who lies under the guise of a journalist with a specific agenda will face the music under this proposed law.” Her use of words is telling. The PML-N, which heads the Punjab government, has struggled to improve its image in recent years. Even though it has regained control in the centre and Punjab, its public image has proven incredibly difficult to restore. The minister’s statements simply express her party’s dissatisfaction with those who have made the task more difficult.
The PML-N’s first attempt to muzzle this new class of ‘influencers’, who set the narrative on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, TikTok, and others, came in the form of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, which was widely criticised for imposing draconian restrictions on Pakistanis’ digital rights. Later, the PTI attempted to build on Peca by making its worst parts more ‘successful’ in suppressing opponents. Fortunately, both proposals were substantially defeated, thanks to the work of journalists and rights campaigners who recognised the serious ramifications for free speech and expression that such law would have. Unfortunately, the PML-N has returned with what appears to be an even more potent weapon to muzzle dissent.
The new Punjab Defamation Bill, 2024 is far more thorough than the Defamation Ordinance, 2002, which it will replace, and it goes even further than the dictatorship-era prohibitions outlined in the original law. With a dangerously loose definition of defamation, much higher financial penalties, and blanket restrictions on commenting on ongoing cases, it appears to have been drafted solely to instill fear in anyone considering criticising or expressing their frustrations with those in power.
Worse, the law was passed without consulting civic society, journalists’ unions, or even the political opposition. Several media organisations and journalist representation associations have already condemned the new bill and intend to oppose it. The Punjab administration would be wise to postpone passage of this measure until critical stakeholders can be convinced to agree. It must realise that the same law can be used against it one day, just as Peca was when the PTI took power. Online defamation is a rising concern, but you can’t take off your nose to spite your face. This topic must be treated with extreme caution.
