LAHORE: Journalists on Thursday boycotted the Punjab Assembly budget session over the new “draconian” defamation law, while the ruling coalition partner Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) made a token appearance in the House to lodge protest with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for not taking the party onboard regarding the preparation of the financial document.

As the session began on Thursday afternoon, the journalists rose from their seats in the press gallery and started chanting slogans against the Punjab Defamation Act 2024, terming it a ‘black law’. They boycotted the session and held a protest outside the assembly building against the government for not consulting them on this controversial law.

As Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman started the budget speech, the opposition led by Malik Ahmad Khan Bachhar surrounded the speaker’s desk and chanted slogans against the PML-N government and termed the budget ‘anti-people’. The opposition members also tore budget copies and hurled them at the speaker and the finance minister.

Meanwhile, CM Maryam gave an impression of ignoring the opposition’s protest and paying attention to the budget speech.

Journalists boycott budget session over defamation law

The PPP ‘s parliamentary meeting held ahead of the budget session decided to send only two of its MPAs – Qazi Ahmad Saeed and Shazia Abid -- to the House as a token appearance. The PPP complained its stance on farmers’ plight, annual development plan for south Punjab and ongoing development schemes was also ignored.

As the finance minister concluded his budget speech amid the opposition protest, the speaker adjourned the session for June 20.

After the session, Information Minister Azma Bokhari defended the budget for imposing no new tax and said: “The government is going to launch 70 new projects in the province. A sum of Rs280 billion has been allocated for the social sector.” She also mentioned journalists’ health insurance programme.

To a question on the defamation law, the minister said, “The people who have a certain agenda to pursue have nothing to do with journalism.”

The defamation law has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by journalists in a plea for striking it down for being in violation of the fundamental rights protected in the Constitution.

Referring to Defamation Ordinance 2002 and the Punjab Defamation Act 2012, the plea says it would have been better to amend the existing laws rather than coming up with a whole new legislation.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2024