LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sent a legal notice to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan under the defamation law, requiring the latter to make a public apology and withdraw ‘false’ allegations of corruption levelled against the former.

The notice sent through Advocate Mustafa Ramday under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance 2002 says: “Your false vilification of Shahbaz Sharif’s intentions has the potential to erode the carefully built trust with domestic and international partners that has wider ramifications on development in Punjab and national progress overall.”

The PTI chairman, a couple of days ago, had alleged that a Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, Javed Sadiq, acting as a frontman for Mr Sharif, had made billions of rupees in the four mega projects the government had awarded to him.

In a prompt reaction, the chief minister had held a press conference the same day, denied the allegations and announced that he would claim Rs26 billion in damages from Mr Khan by filing a law suit.

The notice says the contracts are always awarded by the Punjab government, its various departments and agencies in a transparent, fair and lawful manner. It asks Mr Khan to withdraw his allegations for being false, unfounded, malicious and motivated and tender a public apology to Mr Sharif within 14 days. Otherwise, it says, all legal remedies available under the law would be availed by the chief minister.

The notice has been sent to Mr Khan’s Lahore and Islamabad addresses.

Published in Dawn October 29th, 2016