LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has said the approval of the controversial defamation law was inevitable as bills automatically become laws 15 days after being sent to the governor, even if they choose not to give assent.

“I did not sign the Defamation Bill. However, it was supposed to be passed automatically after 15 days,” he told a private TV channel from the UAE.

Mr Haider, who belongs to the PPP, had earlier vowed to not sign the Punjab Defamation Bill 2024, but his departure allowed the acting governor — Punjab Assembly Speaker and PML-N leader Malik Ahmad Khan — to complete the formality.

According to the governor, his party was against the bill and when he was in the country, he tried to stop the bill from becoming law.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2024