LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday sought a reply from the Punjab government on a petition filed by filmstar Reema Khan against its failure to form a tribunal under the Defamation Act 2024.

The actor, who now lives in the United States, filed the petition through a special attorney, Waris Ali Abid.

Advocate Jahanzeb Sukhera, the counsel for the petitioner, pointedout that under the 2024 law, special tribunals were supposed to be formed, but they have not been established yet.

He said one Shahid Rafiq, a respondentin the petition, uttered defamatory statements on social media forums against the petitioner, who filed a defamation suit against the respondent.

He explained that before the new law, additional district & sessions judges and civil judges could hear defamation cases, but now only a tribunal can do so.

The lawyer argued that due tothe absence of these tribunals, many defamation cases were lying pending, and no progress had been made on the petitioner`s defamation suit.

He asked the court to order immediate formation and activation of tribunals for defamation cases.

A Punjab government law officer informed the court that the tribunals would be formed after Eid.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh adjourned the hearing till April 10 and directed the law officer to submit a written reply to the petition.