LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed a provincial government’s law officer to submit record of the debate held on the floor of the assembly before the enactment of the Punjab Defamation Act 2024.

Justice Anwaar Hussain was hearing multiple petitions by journalists and civil society members challenging the law.

The judge directed an assistant advocate general to submit the record of the debate which took place in the provincial assembly.

He further instructed the law officer to come up with an answer to a question of legislative competence of the provincial assembly to legislate on the subject of social media and defamation.

Justice Hussain also directed the law officer to make submissions regarding judicial independence, security of tenure of tribunals and determination of general damages of Rs3 million as provided in the Act.

The judge observed that the court would also like to know how the Act violates International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which has been ratified by Pakistan.

The petitioners argued that the new law created a parallel judicial system.

One of the petitioners contended that the legislation was aimed at political engineering and undermines constitutional safeguards. He further submitted that requiring payment of damages in advance violates the right to a fair trial guaranteed under the Constitution.

Lawyers, including Rida Hossain, Asad Jamal, Azhar Siddique and Haris Bhatti, appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

The petitions were filed by several journalist bodies and individuals, including Lahore Press Club, Punjab Union of Journalists and Benazir Shah.

The LHC had already linked any proceedings under “The Defamation Act 2024” to the final decision on the petitions challenging the law.

In July last year, the advocate general of Punjab had told the court that no proceedings had so far been started under the Defamation Act 2024.

Dogs neutering policy

PPP local leaders have approached the Lahore High Court for the implementation of the Punjab Animal (Dogs) Birth Control Policy 2021.

PPP-Lahore Information Secretary Majeed Ghouri and coordinator Waheed Lodhi jointly filed a writ petition through Barrister Maqsooma Zahra Bokhari.

The petition has been filed in wake of a recent killing of a minor girl by a dog attack in the Township area.

The Punjab chief secretary, the secretary for livestock department, the deputy commissioner and the Lahore Waste Management Company have been made respondents in the petition.

The petition states that the respondents have been directed to follow the policy in several decisions by the court. It said the respondents had also consented to strictly enforce the policy.

It says the populist mass killing of dogs by the respondents for their political motives puts the general public in more danger as the dogs become more territorial and aggressive.

The petition argues that such actions violate legal and constitutional obligations under the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animal Act, 1860 and Article 4 and 9 of the Constitution.

Justice Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom will hear the petition on Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026