LAHORE: LAHORE High Court (LHC) has fixed journalists’ petition seeking suspension of Defamation Law passed by the Punjab government.

LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq will the case on June 14.

Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Arshad Ansari and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) Secretary Tariq Mehmood have challenged the law.

Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) Secretary Tariq Mehmood have challenged the law. The petitioners’ legal representatives, Advocate Khawaja Tariq Rahim and Advocate Azhar Siddique, will present the arguments in court.

They opined that defamation law is a black law and contradictory to the Constitution of Pakistan.

They argued that the Constitution acknowledges the basic right of freedom of expression, adding that no democratic society and citizens’ freedom cannot sustain without the freedom of expression.

The government wants to create anarchy in the country by using the controversial law for its political purpose, they maintained.

They argued that the defamation law is discriminatory treatment in the presence of Pemra and Digital Rights Protection Authority (PECA) laws and Journalist Protection Act, adding that under the Constitution, no specific law cannot legislated to target any particular segment.

They opined that defamation law is the subject of the federation so a province has authority to legislate in this connection.

The Constitution of Pakistan, country’s laws and higher courts’ verdicts provide the protection to journalists to keep their sources secret.

They appealed the court to declare the incumbent law null and void.