Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets court notice in defamation case

Islamabad - In his petition, Shahbaz Sharif requested the court to issue a decree for recovery of $61 million as compensation.

A Pakistani court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan in a defamation case filed by PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif seeking early hearing of his suit against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, pending for three years.

Imran Khan in April 2017 alleged that Shahbaz Sharif allegedly offered him  $61 million through a "common friend" to withdraw the Panama Papers case in the Supreme Court against 70-year-old former Prime Minister and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif.

Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for treatment, is the supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He was disqualified as Prime Minister in 2017 by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

Three corruption cases - Avenfield properties, Flagship investment and Al-Azizia steel mills - were registered against the Sharif family by the anti-corruption body in 2017 following a judgment by the Supreme Court that disqualified him.

However, Imran Khan did not name the person who allegedly offered him $61 million on behalf of the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif.

Lahore's Additional District and Sessions Court on Friday took up Shahbaz Sharif's application for early hearing on June 10 in which he pleaded that Imran Khan failed to file a written reply for the last three years causing no substantial proceedings in the case.

"In total 60 hearings in this case, Imran Khan's lawyer sought adjournment on 33 occasions. In the last hearing, the court was told that lead counsel advisor to Imran Khan, Babar Awan could not travel from Islamabad to Lahore due to Covid-19 and the court adjourned hearing for June 22," a counsel for Shahbaz Sharif told the court.

Under the law, he said Babr Awan cannot appear before the court to defend Imran Khan since he has become his advisor.

In his petition, Shahbaz Sharif requested the court to issue a decree for recovery of $61 million as compensation for the publication of defamatory content in his favour for causing great damage to his reputation in the public.

After hearing the arguments, Additional District & Sessions Judge Sohail Anjum issued notice to Imran Khan for June 10 to submit a written reply.

Talking to the media after the court issued notice to Imran Khan, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Auranzeb said: "Imran Khan will no longer qualify on Article 62, 63 of the Constitution if he fails to submit a response in the Rs 10 billion defamation case. I challenge Imran Khan to answer in court over his allegation of Rs 10 billion hush money offered by Shehbaz Sharif to him."

She said if on June 10 Imran Khan fails to submit an answer in the court he will be "officially stamped" as a "liar" and will no longer be morally eligible to hold the office of a member of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

"Does a liar, incompetent and unqualified person deserve to be the leader of the Pakistani nation," she asked.

Marriyum Auranzeb further said Imran Khan has been an absconder in this case for the past three years, and has delayed proceedings 33 times.

"Similarly, for the last six years he had been an absconder from the foreign funding case and for the past two years over the 23 secret accounts case," she said.
 

• Pakistan