PM Shehbaz Appears in Court for Rs10 Billion Defamation Case Against PTI Founder

LAHORE (RNN TV) — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared in a Lahore court on Saturday to testify in a defamation suit worth Rs10 billion against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

The hearing was presided over by Additional Session Judge Yilmaz Ghani, while Mian Muhammad Hussain, Imran Khan’s counsel, conducted the cross-examination.

Appearing via video link, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took an oath before the cross-examination began. During his testimony, he confirmed that his lawyer was present with him, but the PTI founder’s lawyer was not in the same location.

The defamation suit was filed by the Prime Minister in response to allegations made by Imran Khan, claiming Shehbaz had offered Rs10 billion to withdraw the Panama Papers case. Shehbaz also confirmed he had signed the defamation claim against Imran Khan.

When asked if he had read the defamation law before filing the suit, Shehbaz admitted he could not recall. “The stamp paper for the claim’s verification was purchased through my lawyer’s agent, but I don’t remember the name of the oath commissioner who attested the claim,” he said. He further mentioned that the oath commissioner came to his Model Town residence, though he couldn’t recall the exact date or time.

Shehbaz acknowledged that the PTI founder had not made the allegations to his face but had instead aired them during television programs on two channels. However, he admitted he did not know the locations of the TV broadcasts and hadn’t verified them before filing the lawsuit.

When asked if Imran Khan had personally published a statement against him, the Prime Minister replied that all the allegations were made during television appearances. He also stated that he was unaware if the TV channels involved had any ties to Imran Khan.

Regarding the defamation suit, Shehbaz clarified that it had been filed before a district judge, but not in a district court, and that media houses, their employees, or executives were not included in the case.

Shehbaz’s lawyer, Mustafa Ramday, objected to a question raised by Imran Khan’s counsel about the additional session judge’s authority to hear the case, arguing that the legal issue had already been settled.

When the court asked if he wished to respond, Shehbaz stated that it was incorrect to suggest that an additional district judge, acting as a district judge, lacked the authority to hear the claim or record evidence.

The Prime Minister also noted that while he couldn’t recall if he was the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in 2017 when the allegations were made, he was affiliated with the party at the time and still remains a member. He further mentioned that in 2017, Imran Khan was the PTI chairman, and the two parties have been political rivals ever since.

Shehbaz confirmed that he had referred to Imran Khan as a “political rival of PML-N” in paragraph 3 of his claim.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged that he was unaware the word “originator” had been removed from the defamation law, adding that all laws are reviewed by the cabinet before being sent to the president for approval.

The court adjourned the hearing until April 25, with the continuation of the Prime Minister’s cross-examination scheduled for the next session.

Source: Web Desk