LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday requested a sessions court to decide without delay his Rs10 billion suit for damages filed against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan.

Submitting a written application before the court to this effect, counsel of Mr Sharif stated that a suit was required to be decided within 90 days under the law. However, he said, the defendant (Imran Khan) had been trying to delay the proceedings by not filing his reply despite a notice issued to him on July 7 last. The lawyer urged the court to decide the suit without any delay.

Besides a fresh notice on the suit, Additional District & Sessions Judge Abdul Ghaffar also issued notice to Mr Khan on the application moved by the plaintiff/Sharif for early decision. The judge would resume hearing on Dec 5.

Mr Sharif had accused Mr Khan of leveling baseless allegation that he (Shahbaz) had offered Khan Rs10 billion through a common friend for withdrawing the Panama Papers case from the Supreme Court.

The chief minister sought a decree for recovery of Rs10billion as compensation from the PTI chief.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2017