LAHORE: A sessions court on Friday issued a notice to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on a Rs10 billion suit for damages filed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif under Defamation Ordinance 2002.

The suit filed through Advocate Mustafa Ramday states that the defendant (Imran Khan) in April last started uttering false and malicious statements against the plaintiff (Shahbaz Sharif) that the latter offered Rs10 billion to the former through a common friend in exchange of withdrawing the case of Panama Papers pending with the Supreme Court.

It says the plaintiff served a legal notice on the defendant asking him to tender a proper apology within 14 days through print and electronic media. However, the defendant failed to make an apology and the plaintiff was left with no option but to approach the court for recovery of damages.

The suit pleads that the baseless and defamatory statements by the defendant were widely circulated by media, lowered the integrity of the plaintiff and caused him extreme mental torture, agony and anxiety.

The court has been requested to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation for the publication of defamatory content in favour of the plaintiff.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Azfar Sultan heard the initial arguments of the plaintiff’s counsel and issued a notice to Imran Khan for July 21.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2017