SAPM Shahbaz Gill approaches Lahore court requesting withdrawal of arrest warrant in defamation suit

Published October 28, 2021
In this file photo, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill addresses the media in Lahore on Oct 11, 2020. — APP/File
In this file photo, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill addresses the media in Lahore on Oct 11, 2020. — APP/File

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Thursday filed a plea in a Lahore sessions court, seeking withdrawal of the bailable arrest warrant issued by the court a day ago in a defamation suit.

Gill, during a TV show in September last year, had accused a Turkish company M/s Platform Turizm Tasimacilik — a subsidiary of Al-Bayrak Group of companies — of signing the metro bus project with the then PML-N government on an inflated amount.

Later the same month, the company filed a defamation suit through its counsel Mian Ali Ashfaq against Gill, seeking action against him under sections 499 and 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code for levelling false allegations against the firm. It contended that the accusations hurled by the PM's aide caused a huge financial loss to the company.

Later, Gill had registered a case against the company, arguing that the documents the company officials had submitted with the defamation suit in the court were fabricated.

On Wednesday, the court had expressed displeasure over the absence of Gill's counsel in the hearing and issued bailable arrest warrants for the premier's assistant.

In its order, the court had issued arrest warrants, bailable against a surety bond of Rs.30,000, and ordered Gill to appear in person in the next hearing on Nov 1.

In the latest development, Gill filed the petition — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — through his counsels Ahmed Saad Khan and Zain Nazir Khan, urging the court to withdraw the arrest warrants.

He also informed that he had earlier been given an exemption by the court on May 27, 2021 from personal appearance in the case.

The petition was not taken up by the court until 3pm on Thursday.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

SOME clearly thought that senior judges would prove just as easily ‘manageable’ as our seasoned politicians...
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.