The government on Saturday made changes in two laws that would pave the way for penalising defamation against the army, judiciary, public servants and government institutions as well as allowing the lawmakers and others to visit and address public gatherings during election campaigns. The move comes amid government’s attempt to curb spread of “fake news” and strengthening of the defamation laws. An official privy to the development told The Express Tribune that defamation cases would be decided within six months. He added that courts would be required to decide defamation cases in six months. “Institutions paid by taxpayers must be accountable to the people; but state keeps becoming more autocratic,” Khilji tweeted, adding that it was “unacceptable”.

Source: The Express Tribune February 20, 2022 05:17 UTC