MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Wednesday tabled a piece of law in the legislative assembly to “curb defamation” in a move that opposition and mediapersons maintained will in fact suppress the freedom of expression.

During the legislation business, when law minister Mian Abdul Waheed, who belongs to the PPP, introduced ‘The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Defamation Act, 2021’ in the house, journalists present in the media gallery rose to their seats and staged a walkout in protest against what they alleged was a “black law”.

One among them loudly remarked that it was shocking that while the law minister’s party championed freedom of expression, he had tabled a bill that could be used to “muzzle the media and dissenting voices”.

However, an undeterred law minister carried on his statement and got the bill referred to the concerned house committee amid a suggestion by former prime minister and PML-N leader Raja Farooq Haider that the government should take the representatives of journalists into confidence on the proposed law.

Outside, mediapersons staged a sit-in on the stairs of the main entrance, where they were joined by all four present opposition members - three from the PTI, including its regional president Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, and one from the Jammu Kashmir People’s Party.

Speaking to them, Mr Niazi said the opposition stood by the media fraternity and would oppose any attempt aimed at gagging the media.

He however regretted that the government was taking undue benefit of the opposition’s small size and had taken upon itself to bulldoze the proceedings of the assembly.

As in the meanwhile the session was prorogued by the chair sine die, the law minister also arrived at the sit-in of mediapersons and declared in the presence of the opposition lawmakers that the government was averse to any attempt aimed at suppressing the freedom of press.

He said the concerned house committee would take the representatives of the media fraternity on board during the review of the bill.

“You should have faith in us and wait for its appraisal by the committee,” he said.

However, Central Press Club president Wahid Iqbal Butt told the minister that journalists would stage protest demonstrations, hoist black flags at press clubs and wear black armbands throughout Azad Kashmir on Thursday to register their indignation at the “black law that proposed harsh penalties to muffle the voice of media”.

Meanwhile, PML-N regional general secretary Chaudhry Tariq Farooq also took strong exception to the proposed law, maintaining that it would “adversely affect the freedom of print, electronic and social media, damage democratic values and promote dictatorial approach”.

“The thought of bringing such a black law reflects fascist mentality. The coalition government cannot hide its unconstitutional, undemocratic and inhumane tactics with such a move,” he wrote on X, vowing that the law would be strongly resisted […] and challenged in the high court.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023