From Abid Usman
LAHORE: In a bid to prevent the spread of what it called false and misleading news, the Punjab government has decided to enact the Defamation Law.
The sources privy to the development said that the proposed law is aimed at protecting individuals and institutions from reputational damage through ‘false and misleading news’
The law is set to apply to ‘false and untrue’ news spread through print, electronic, and social media, and would replace the Defamation Ordinance 2002.
The Punjab government tabled the bill in the provincial assembly which has been forwarded to the concerned standing committee. The bill is likely to be tabled back to the Punjab Assembly for passage in next few days. The sources that the law would be enacted soon after passage by the Punjab Assembly. Earlier on May 9, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif approved a draft for amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to regulate social media. According to the details, the establishment of Digital Rights Protection Agency (DRPA) has been approved under the PECA Act 2024. The new PECA Bill will be presented in the Parliament after the approval of the Cabinet.
