Punjab Assembly amends law against journalists

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 14 July 2021

The Punjab Assembly has amended a law that imposed jail terms on journalists for reporting on assembly members' privileges. The amendment was introduced to eliminate concerns from the journalist community and was unanimously passed by the assembly.

Summary

LAHORE—The Punjab Assembly has amended the recently passed law that had recommended jail terms for journalists for reporting things that may violate privileges of the assembly members, Dawn reported.

The Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the provincial assembly for removal of the anti-journalists’ clauses by PML-Q’s Sajid Bhatti, who was also one of the movers of the controversial bill, and was unanimously passed by the House.

Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who presided over the sitting, said that by amending the controversial law all reservations of the journalist community stood removed.

KEY POINTS:

• Punjab Assembly amends law against journalists
• Unanimous passage of the amendment
• Introduced by PML-Q's Sajid Bhatti
• Removal of anti-journalist clauses
• Support for press freedom in Punjab