{ "schema_version": "qanun-law-text/1", "id": "punjab-code-053a69726edd9193", "title": "DEFAMATION ORDINANCE, 2002", "source_collection": "Punjab", "content_kind": "stored_law_text", "content_extent": null, "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/VWAFMAYxUWY-", "version": null, "source_snapshot": "2026-08-06T16:31:40Z", "legal_status": "not independently verified", "text_quality": "Complete stored UTF-8 TXT file recovered byte-for-byte from owned Drive. Source transcription retained verbatim; legal completeness, OCR accuracy and current consolidation unverified.", "text_sha256": "5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181", "source_sha256": "5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181", "text_version_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181", "quality_flags": [], "encoding": "UTF-8", "text": "THE DEFAMATION ORDINANCE, 2002 \r\n(LVI of 2002) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement \r\n2. Definitions \r\n3. Defamation \r\n4. Defamation actionable \r\n5. Defences \r\n6. Absolute privilege \r\n7. Qualified privilege \r\n8. Notice of Action \r\n9. Remedies \r\n10. Code of Civil procedure and Qanun-e-Shahadat order to apply \r\n11. Ordinance not to prejudice action for criminal defamation \r\n12. Limitation of actions \r\n13. Trial of cases \r\n14. Court to decide the cases expeditiously \r\n15. Appeal \r\n16. Power to make rules \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE DEFAMATION ORDINANCE, 2002 \r\n(LVI of 2002) \r\n[1st October, 2002] \r\nAn \r\nOrdinance \r\nto make provisions in respect of defamation \r\nPreamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to make provisions in respect of defamation \r\nand for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto; \r\n AND WHEREAS , the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which \r\nrender it necessary to take immediate action; \r\n NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Proclamation of Emergency of the \r\nfourteenth day of October, 1999, and the Provisional Constitution Order No.1 of \r\n1999, read with the Provisional Constitution (Amendment) Order No. 9 of 1999, and \r\nin exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, the President of the Islamic \r\nRepublic of Pakistan is pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance:– \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Ordinance may be called \r\nthe Defamation Ordinance, 2002. \r\n2\r\n[(2) It extends to the whole of the Punjab]. \r\n (3) It shall come into force at once. \r\n2. Definitions.– In this Ordinance, unless there is anything repugnant in the \r\nsubject or context,– \r\n3\r\n[(a) [xxxx]; \r\n(b) “broadcasting” means the dissemination of writings, signs, signals, \r\npictures and sounds of all kind, including any electronic device, \r\nintended to be received by the public either directly or through the \r\nmedium of relay stations, by means of, \r\n(i) a form of wireless radio-electric communication utilizing Hertzian \r\nwaves, including radio telegraph and radio telephone, or \r\n \r\n1In pursuance of the Proclamation of Emergency of the fourteenth day of Oc tober, 1999, and the \r\nProvisional Constitution Order No.1 of 1999, read with the Provisional Constitution (Amendment) Order No.9 of 1999, and in \r\nexercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan promulgated this Ordinance \r\nwhich was published in the Gazette of Pakistan, Extraordinary, 1st October, 2002, pages 1219-1222. \r\nThis Ordinance was originally in the Federal ambit, however, the subject on which this law was enacted devolved to the \r\nprovinces by virtue o f 18th Amendment in the Constitution, hence it was adapted, with amendments, for the province of the \r\nPunjab by the Defamation (Ame ndment) Act 2012 (VIII of 2012); and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), pages \r\n40131-40132, dated 11.2.2012. \r\n2Sub-section (2) of Section 1 is substituted for “It extends to whole of the Pakistan” by the Defamation (Amendment) Act, 2012 \r\n(VIII of 2012); and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 11.2.2012, pages 40131-40132, s.2. \r\n3Clause (a) omitted b y the Defamation ( Amendment) Act , 2004 (IX of 2004); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182, s.2(i). \r\n(ii) cables, computer, wires, fibre-optic linkages or laser beams, and \r\n“broadcast” has a corresponding meaning; \r\n4\r\n[(bb) “Court” means the District Court;] \r\n(c) “editor” means a person or operator having editorial or equiva lent \r\nresponsibility for the content or the statement or the decision to publi sh \r\nor circulate it; \r\n5\r\n[(cc) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; \r\n6\r\n[(d) “newspaper” means a paper containing public news, intelligence or \r\noccurrences or remarks or observations or containing only, or principally, \r\nadvertisements, printed for distribution to the public and published \r\nperiodically, or in parts or number, and includes such other periodical \r\nworks as the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, \r\ndeclare to be newspaper;] \r\n7\r\n[(dd) “originator” means the initiator of the defamatory statement or any other \r\ndefamatory act;] \r\n(e) “publication” means the communication of the words to at least one \r\nperson other than the person defamed and includes a newspaper or \r\nbroadcast through the internet or other media; and \r\n(f) “publisher” means a commercial publisher, that is, a person whose \r\nbusiness is issuing material to the public, or a section of the public, \r\nwho issues material containing the statement in the course of that \r\nbusiness. \r\n3. Defamation.– (1) Any wrongful act or publication or circulation of a false \r\nstatement or representation made orally or in written or visual fo rm which injures the \r\nreputation of a person, tends to lower him in the estimation of others or te nds to \r\nreduce him to ridicule, unjust criticism, dislike, contempt or hatred shall be actionable \r\nas defamation. \r\n (2) Defamation is of two forms, namely:– \r\n(i) slander; and \r\n(ii) libel. \r\n (3) Any false oral statement or representation that amounts to defamatio n \r\nshall be actionable as slander. \r\n \r\n4Clause (bb) inserted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004); and published in the G azette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182, s.2(ii). \r\n5Inserted by the Defamation (Amendment) Act, 2012 (VIII of 2012) ; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated \r\n11.2.2012, pages 40131-40132, s.3(a). \r\n6Substituted clause (d) of Section 2 for [“ newspaper” means a paper containing public news, intelligence or occurrences or \r\nremarks or observations or containing only, or principally, advertisements, printed for distribution to the public and publis hed \r\nperiodically, or in parts or member, and includes such other periodical works as the Federal Government may, by notification in the \r\nofficial Gazette, declare to be newspaper” by the Defamation (Amendment) Act, 2012 (VIII of 2012); and published in the Punjab \r\nGazette (Extraordinary), , dated 11.2.2012, pages 40131-40132, s.3(b). \r\n7Inserted by the Defamation (Amendment) Act, 2004 (Federal Act IX of 2004) ; and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182, s.2(iii). \r\n (4) Any false written, documentary or visual statement or represent ation \r\nmade either by ordinary f orm or expression or by electronic or other modern means \r\nor devices that amounts to defamation shall be actionable as libel. \r\n4. Defamation actionable .–The publication of defamatory matter is an \r\nactionable wrong without proof of special damage to the person defamed and where \r\ndefamation is proved, damage shall be presumed. \r\n5. Defences.– In defamation proceedings a person has a defence if he shows \r\nthat– \r\n(a) he was not the author, editor, publisher or printer of the statement \r\ncomplained of; \r\n(b) the matter comm ented on is fair and in the public interest and is an \r\nexpression of opinion and not an assertion of fact and was published in \r\ngood faith; \r\n(c) it is based on truth and was made for public good; \r\n(d) assent was given for the publication by the plaintiff; \r\n(e) offer to tender a proper apology and publish the same was made by \r\nthe defendant but was refused by the plaintiff; \r\n(f) an offer to print or publish a contradiction or denial in the same manner \r\nand with the same prominence was made but was refused by the \r\nplaintiff; \r\n(g) the matter complained of was privileged communication such as \r\nbetween lawyer and client or between persons havi ng fiduciary \r\nrelations; and \r\n(h) the matter is covered by absolute or qualified privilege. \r\n6. Absolute privilege .– Any publication of statement made in the Federal or \r\nProvincial legislatures, reports , papers, notes and proceedings ordered to be \r\npublished by either House of the Parliament or by the Provincial Assemblies, or \r\nrelating to judicial proceedings ordered to be published by the Court or any report, \r\nnote or matter written or published by or under the authority of a Government, shall \r\nhave the protection of absolute privilege. \r\nExplanation.– In this section legislature includes a local legislature and Court \r\nincludes any tribunal or body exercising the judicial powers. \r\n7. Qualified privilege .– Any fair and accurate publication of parliamentary \r\nproceedings, or judicial proceedings which the public may attend and statements \r\nmade to the proper authorities in order to procure the redress of public grievances \r\nshall have the protection of qualified privilege. \r\n8. Notice of action.– No action lies unless the plaint iff has, within two months \r\nafter the publication of the defamatory matter has come to his notice or knowledge, \r\ngiven to the defendant, fourteen days notice in writing of his intention to bring an \r\naction, specifying the defamatory matter complained of. \r\n9. Remedies.– Where defamation shall be proved to have occurred, the Court \r\nmay pass order directi ng the defendant to tender an apology, if acceptable to the \r\nplaintiff, and publish the same in similar manner and with the same prominence as \r\nthe defamatory statem ent made and pay reasonable compensatory damages as \r\ngeneral damages with a minimum of Rs. 50,000 (Rupees fifty thousand) \r\n8\r\n[*****] and \r\nin addition thereto, any special damage incurred that is proved by the plaintiff to the \r\nsatisfaction of the Court \r\n9\r\n[:] \r\n \r\n10\r\n[Provided that in case of the originator the minimum compensatory damages \r\nas general damages shall be three hundred thousand rupees.] \r\n10. Code of Civil Procedure and Qanun -e-Shahadat O rder to apply .– The \r\nCode of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act No. V of 1908) and the Qanun-e-Shahadat, 1984 \r\n(P.O. No. 10 of 1984) shall mutatis mutandis, apply to the proceedings under this \r\nOrdinance. \r\n11. Ordinance not to prejudice action for criminal defamation .– Nothing in \r\nthis Ordinance shall prejudice any action for criminal libel or slander under any law \r\nfor the time being in force. \r\n12. Limitation of actions.– An action against– \r\n(a) an author, editor, proprietor or publisher of a newspaper; \r\n(b) the owner of a broadcasting station; \r\n(c) an officer, servant or employee of the newspap er or broadcasting \r\nstation; or \r\n(d) any other purpose, \r\nfor defamation contained in the newspaper or broadcast from the station or its \r\npublication otherwise shall be taken within six months after the publication of the \r\ndefamatory matter came to the notice or knowledge of the person defamed. \r\n11\r\n[13. Trial of cases.– The District Court shall have the jurisdiction to try the cases \r\nunder this Ordinance.] \r\n14. Court to decide the cases expeditiously .– The Court shall decide a case \r\nunder this Ordinance within a period of \r\n12\r\n[ninety days]. \r\n13\r\n[15. Appeal.– An appeal against the final decision and decree of the Court shall lie \r\nto the High Court within thirty days and the High Court shall deci de the appeal within \r\nsixty days: \r\n \r\n8Words “or shall undergo three months imprisonment” omitted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004) ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182, s.3(i). \r\n9Replace the full -stop by the Defamation ( Amendment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182,s.3(ii). \r\n10Inserted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004) ; and published in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraord inary), \r\nPart I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182,s.3(ii). \r\n11S.13 subs tituted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182,s.4. \r\n12Words “six months” substituted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act, 2004 (IX of 2004) ; and published in the Gazette of \r\nPakistan (Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182,s.5.. \r\n Provided that no appeal shall lie against an interlocutory order of the Court.] \r\n16. Power to make rules .– The \r\n14\r\n[****] Government may, by notification in the \r\nofficial Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Ordinance. \r\n \r\n13S.15 subs tituted by the Defamation (Am endment) Act , 2004 (IX of 2004) ; and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), Part I, dated 30.11.2004, pages 180-182,s.6. \r\n14The word “Federal” is omitted by the Defamation (Amendment) Act, 2012 (VIII of 2012) ; and published in the Punjab Gazette \r\n(Extraordinary),, dated 11.2.2012, pages 40131-40132, s.4.", "passage_offset_convention": "zero-based Unicode code points and UTF8 bytes; end exclusive", "passages": [ { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-0-1741:962c31809ec5cb68f1d5d30c2005a8635c24b84b66dd010ac7dabba6a17ecac4", "character_start": 0, "character_end": 1741, "utf8_byte_start": 0, "utf8_byte_end": 1755, "passage_sha256": "962c31809ec5cb68f1d5d30c2005a8635c24b84b66dd010ac7dabba6a17ecac4", "reader_fragment": "p-0-1741-962c31809ec5cb68" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-1741-3522:21d4541b977792fb20cd1a8c8e900dc981d92fe2e1cdae781adc5e6d8260a452", "character_start": 1741, "character_end": 3522, "utf8_byte_start": 1755, "utf8_byte_end": 3544, "passage_sha256": "21d4541b977792fb20cd1a8c8e900dc981d92fe2e1cdae781adc5e6d8260a452", "reader_fragment": "p-1741-3522-21d4541b977792fb" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-3522-5272:333d3ec888e6464b2425475d0de8bb1a5e9c1cf45effba1c540cfba9e2e9681f", "character_start": 3522, "character_end": 5272, "utf8_byte_start": 3544, "utf8_byte_end": 5326, "passage_sha256": "333d3ec888e6464b2425475d0de8bb1a5e9c1cf45effba1c540cfba9e2e9681f", "reader_fragment": "p-3522-5272-333d3ec888e6464b" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-5272-6999:bcd2c8777fa7221837fc8ba93abb1140041bf0e110ba1da2b9eefad4ba8204c5", "character_start": 5272, "character_end": 6999, "utf8_byte_start": 5326, "utf8_byte_end": 7065, "passage_sha256": "bcd2c8777fa7221837fc8ba93abb1140041bf0e110ba1da2b9eefad4ba8204c5", "reader_fragment": "p-5272-6999-bcd2c8777fa72218" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-6999-8773:cf5e962588f8fd85f0841ff172de5769ed298314e2c967cf42033989390e507a", "character_start": 6999, "character_end": 8773, "utf8_byte_start": 7065, "utf8_byte_end": 8845, "passage_sha256": "cf5e962588f8fd85f0841ff172de5769ed298314e2c967cf42033989390e507a", "reader_fragment": "p-6999-8773-cf5e962588f8fd85" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-8773-10493:3a6434dbdfcc19352ece814bcc4173f8b2bd02ca85048d11228d5296292a6d8f", "character_start": 8773, "character_end": 10493, "utf8_byte_start": 8845, "utf8_byte_end": 10577, "passage_sha256": "3a6434dbdfcc19352ece814bcc4173f8b2bd02ca85048d11228d5296292a6d8f", "reader_fragment": "p-8773-10493-3a6434dbdfcc1935" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-10493-12228:f64452b991e4651cf74f25e1cdb0a05cd41334c2cfbf778357e4d4ab013f4b16", "character_start": 10493, "character_end": 12228, "utf8_byte_start": 10577, "utf8_byte_end": 12326, "passage_sha256": "f64452b991e4651cf74f25e1cdb0a05cd41334c2cfbf778357e4d4ab013f4b16", "reader_fragment": "p-10493-12228-f64452b991e4651c" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-053a69726edd9193:sha256:5c7bc5ca06680ffb59088a1562fa92fda2c013f2e41d4ff4b7e10e11773ec181:chars-12228-13025:1ea5058a2f94ebf1a7260581f7b5d1b329d47ad32101ca7696871ac05ba498dd", "character_start": 12228, "character_end": 13025, "utf8_byte_start": 12326, "utf8_byte_end": 13129, "passage_sha256": "1ea5058a2f94ebf1a7260581f7b5d1b329d47ad32101ca7696871ac05ba498dd", "reader_fragment": "p-12228-13025-1ea5058a2f94ebf1" } ] }