How to Send a Defamation Notice in Pakistan Over a False Post

If someone posted a false statement about you, send them a written defamation notice within two months of the day you found out. The notice must give 14 days and name the exact words you object to. Under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, a court case cannot start without this notice. Missing the two month window can end the case before it begins.

This guide covers a false post, message or news item that harms your name. It follows the Ordinance step by step. It is not legal advice, and the final drafting should be checked by a lawyer.

Check that the statement counts as defamation

Defamation means a false statement, spoken, written or shown, that harms a person's reputation or makes others look down on them. The Ordinance covers spoken words (slander) and written or electronic words (libel). A post on social media counts as libel.

Two points decide most cases. The statement must be false, and it must reach at least one person other than you. A private insult said only to you is not publication. A comment on a public page is.

The Ordinance also lists defences. A defendant can say the matter is true and was published for public good, or that it was fair comment in good faith, or that they offered an apology or a correction and you refused it. So an honest opinion or a true fact will not win a case, even if it hurts.

Save proof before you send anything

Capture the post, its link, the date and time, and the account name before the writer deletes it. Screenshots help, but a screen recording that shows the web address and the page loading is stronger. Ask a trusted person to view and note it too.

• The exact words you object to, copied word for word.
• The link, the name of the page or account, and the date you first saw it.
• The names of people who read it, if you know them.
• Any harm that followed, such as a lost job, a cancelled contract or messages from family.

The date you first saw it matters most. Write down how you found out and who told you. The two month clock and the six month clock both run from the day it came to your notice or knowledge.

Send the 14 day written notice within two months

Section 8 says no action lies unless you gave the defendant 14 days' notice in writing of your intention to sue, specifying the defamatory matter, and you gave it within two months of learning of the publication.

Your notice should name the person, quote the words, say they are false, ask for an apology and removal, and state that you will file a case after 14 days if they do not act. Send it by a method that leaves proof, such as registered post with acknowledgement or a courier receipt. Keep the receipt.

File the suit in the court of the District Judge

If the 14 days pass with no apology, file the suit. Section 13 says no court below the District Judge can try these cases. Section 12 gives you six months from the day the matter came to your notice to file it.

The Code of Civil Procedure and the Qanun-e-Shahadat apply, so you file a plaint, pay court fees and prove your case with evidence. A lawyer is sensible here. If you cannot pay for one, see the guide to free legal aid in Punjab. To choose a lawyer carefully, use the guide to verifying a lawyer's licence.

The court can order the defendant to apologise in the same manner and with the same prominence as the false statement, and to pay damages. The Ordinance says general damages with a minimum of Rs 50,000, plus any special damage you prove, or the defendant faces three months in prison. The court is told to decide within six months.

Know the limits of this route

This is a civil route for your name and money. It does not stop a criminal complaint. Section 11 says the Ordinance does not prejudice any action for criminal libel or slander under another law.

1. Save the post, link and time you found it.
2. Note the date it came to your knowledge.
3. Write a notice that quotes the exact words.
4. Send it by registered post or courier within two months.
5. Wait 14 days for an apology or removal.
6. File the suit before the District Judge within six months.

If the post includes threats, fake images or blackmail, treat it as a cybercrime too. The guides to reporting a cybercrime to the NCCIA and to reporting online blackmail explain that route. Do not post a reply that repeats the claim, because that can create a case against you.

Common questions about defamation notices

Can I sue without sending a notice?

No. Section 8 says no action lies unless you gave the defendant written notice of 14 days within two months of learning of the publication. A court can reject a suit that skips it.

What if I found out about the post months ago?

The two month window for the notice has probably closed. Speak to a lawyer at once. The six month limit for a suit also runs from the day you found out, so delay costs you both.

Does a screenshot prove the post was made?

It helps but can be challenged. Keep the link, the date and a screen recording, and ask other readers to confirm what they saw. A lawyer can advise on the best form of proof in court.

How much can the court award?

The Ordinance sets general damages at a minimum of Rs 50,000, plus special damage you prove. The actual award depends on the case. The Ordinance also allows an apology order.

Is a bad review the same as defamation?

Not always. A true statement, or an honest opinion given in good faith, is a defence. A review that states false facts about you can still be defamation, so read the exact words before you act.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 8 October 2026. We read the full text of the Defamation Ordinance 2002 (Ordinance LVI of 2002) on 8 October 2026, including sections 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11 to 15. The Pakistan Code website would not give us the Ordinance page on that day, so we could not confirm against the official copy whether any later amendment changed these sections. Check the current text at pakistancode.gov.pk before you rely on a date or an amount.