Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has strongly rejected the newly passed defamation law, calling it a "black law" that was passed in secrecy, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Sunday.
JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticized the bill, stating that it represents a severe attack on the constitutional right to free speech.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman emphasized that Jamaat-e-Islami was the first party to oppose and reject the bill.
He questioned the timing of Punjab Governor's departure from the country and the acting governor's subsequent signing of the defamation bill, suggesting that it effectively bans freedom of speech.
He accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of being equal participants in the creation, approval, and enforcement of this law.
Rehman stated that the defamation law is widely regarded by journalistic organizations as "anti-human" and vowed to consult with journalists, civil society, and various sectors against it.
JI stands in solidarity with the Joint Action Committee and its declaration, promising peaceful political and democratic resistance against the law.