Pakistan, April 27 -- The Lahore High Court has referred petitions challenging the Punjab Defamation Act 2024 to the chief justice after objections raised by the provincial government during ongoing proceedings in Monday hearing. Justice Anwaar Hussain made the decision after lawyers from both sides presented arguments regarding jurisdiction and procedural handling of the constitutional challenge case. The petitions question the legality of the law passed in June 2024, which aimed to regulate defamation claims in media and public discourse. Meanwhile, the court directed administrative review to determine the appropriate bench for further hearings in the case.

The Punjab government defended the defamation law, arguing that it was necessar...