Court issues notice to Sethi over ‘derogatory’ remarks

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

Court issues notice to Sethi over ‘derogatory’ remarks

Malik Asad Published August 4, 2019

A local court on Saturday issued a notice to anchorperson Najam Sethi on a defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Imran Khan for passing “derogatory” remarks against him. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Saturday issued a notice to anchorperson Najam Sethi on a defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Imran Khan for passing “derogatory” remarks against him.

Mr Khan has claimed Rs10 billion in terms of damages and compensation from Mr Sethi for intruding on his private life.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Basit Aleem took up Mr Khan’s application and issued the notice to Mr Sethi for Aug 9. The judge, however, rejected a request from Mr Khan’s counsel for an order to the private television channel to restrain Mr Sethi from hosting his programme Najam Sethi Show, saying the matter may be raised before another ADSJ, Mohammad Ali Warraich, who would take up Mr Khan’s application.

In the application, the prime minister said Mr Sethi’s programme aired on March 28, “openly slandered the family and private life of the plaintiff [PM Khan] with an object to degrade and defame the plaintiff in the eyes of general public”.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2019

Pakistan

Malik Asad is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with two decades of experience covering legal affairs, judicial developments, and the civil bureaucracy. He can be found on X at @asadrp.

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Haseeb

Aug 04, 2019 08:01am

Imran khan himslef is popular for defamation of opposition. And what about notice sent by Najam sethi to him.

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Aftab

Aug 04, 2019 08:04am

Having disagreement with and criticizing policies of Imran Khan, OK. Discussing his personal life and hitting him below the belt, not Ok.

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Uzair

Aug 04, 2019 08:19am

There is a difference between slander and derogatory remarks. The latter being in the area of free speech and not a sound basis for litigation and control, however, the former is a reasonable basis to sue someone.

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Arshad

Aug 04, 2019 08:32am

I listen to his talk shows often. He is so knowledgeable and I admire him for that. He is undoubtedly best analyst in Pakistan. Recently PMIK said to Trump that in Pakistan, media is free. And the proof is - Pakistan media is his biggest critique. Is this the freedom media he was taiking about? Isn't PMIK contradicting himself!

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helpless

Aug 04, 2019 08:36am

Good job - Use the legal statement for all grievances rather than retaliating in kind.

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Alien1

Aug 04, 2019 08:54am

There was nothing derogatory on what was said against IK, he was just saying the reality about IK.

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AXH

Aug 04, 2019 09:03am

But, but but, according to the recent developments, these comments fall under the "freedom of press" and therefore, no one should object to them.

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Colaking

Aug 04, 2019 09:05am

Mr. Sethi is a correspondent. You may agree or dis-agree with his views.n Its democracy. I regularly watch his talk show. Never felt that he has passed any remarks which degrade and defame Mr. IK's private life. On the contrary, Mr. IK is known for what he is for a very long time.

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Imran

Aug 04, 2019 09:41am

Why is IK wasting time on such things? Why does he get in these petty disputes with other people?

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enam

Aug 04, 2019 10:10am

Good move. Journalists have no right to discuss the personal life of some one

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Maliki

Aug 04, 2019 10:22am

Does the PM knows that he is a public personality and there is no defamation for public personality eve if this is rumor, lie, or pure non sense. They all are part of the free speech. There are regular programs in USA, mocking, ridiculing President Trump all the times. It is all protected activities and comes within the ambit of public territory. Does he knows that he would not be immune from deposition in a court of law and prove his damages and how did he arrive at such an astronomical figure. What happened to your former claim of proverbial thick skin. Now, our country would be more divided? Someone giving you bogus legal advice. Also, are you spending legal expenses from your pocket or government because the defamation is personal.

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Aug 04, 2019 10:40am

Freedom of press award and award for tolerance goes to IK.

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Thinking Indian

Aug 04, 2019 11:21am

The great Sethi who was over optimistic about his capabilities and thought BCCI will pay millions in fine to PCB. But ended up being as successful a case as the famed CPEC

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wachucha

Aug 04, 2019 11:21am

Yes, it should stop at all cost. Some anchors consider themselves bigger than life personalities and talk like a loose cannon breaching all professional norms and ethics.

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Saif Zulfiqar

Aug 04, 2019 12:09pm

Najaf Sethi will declare bankurupcy now.

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rehan

Aug 04, 2019 12:09pm

Imran Khan has defamed every one under the sky when he was on the container and is still doing it. He should first get his house in order .

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Danish

Aug 04, 2019 02:24pm

Good way to make money by Ik for asking unlrealastic amount of money for his grievances . Also NAB and FBR take action to find out how Najam Sethi will pay 10 billion and money trail and how much Ik will pay tax on 10 billion when he received the settlement money.

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Sferoz90

Aug 04, 2019 02:34pm

I saw his program after IK visit to USA. I had personally attended IK Address at capital one Atena in Washington DC. I was shocked to hear Sethis lies and misrepresentation of the events stating only 9000 people attended. He also stated that once there attendees around that number the figures can be distorted to a higher one. He also presented some lady giving the official figure of 9000 attendees. Having been there myself and seen place packed so much so that people were turned away. I realized how political the news Chanel’s and so called journalists have become. Such blatant lies Mr. Sethi! Shame on you!

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Jehengir khan

Aug 04, 2019 02:35pm

A politician complaining against defamation? This is ridiculous......

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Naveed Anwar

Aug 04, 2019 03:04pm

@Arshad, Media is free & able to speak freely on all issues. However, this is a common practice in any cultured society to refrain from slandering people & creating fake news. Sethi is wrong for attacking IK the PM of Pakistan on his personal life. Media is only entitled to criticize IK on his political views but not on his spouse or children unless it proven in court of law.

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Naveed Anwar

Aug 04, 2019 03:05pm

@AXH, you deserve dictatorship or Zardari or Sharif

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Naveed Anwar

Aug 04, 2019 03:08pm

@Sferoz90, agree I was there as well and Sethi lies on his show.

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abdullah

Aug 04, 2019 03:27pm

Najam Sethi is a pathological liar. See his history since 1990s, he's still surviving. Amazing!!

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Wow

Aug 04, 2019 03:30pm

@Sferoz90, you are absolutely right.

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Ahmed

Aug 04, 2019 03:32pm

Attacking someone's personal life for political acrimony is highly condemnable

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Ash Man

Aug 04, 2019 03:38pm

Does najam Sethi have 10 billion. I don’t think so.

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Pakistani

Aug 04, 2019 03:42pm

Wat happend to the Sethi law suite against niazi ?? Years ago ??

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AHAQ

Aug 04, 2019 04:01pm

I think this man Najam Sethi is lost. He continues to not only use degrading derogatory language but speaks without thinking about the topics. I have seen him go on tangents during discussions and several times the program channel moderator has to correct him and bring to the topic.

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Ghani K

Aug 04, 2019 04:03pm

Though Najam Sethi is a sycophant, a mouthpiece of Mian Nawaz Sharif, stopping TV channel from airing his program is violation of freedom of expression, finding him guilty before the trial

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shan

Aug 04, 2019 04:16pm

IK and his followers don't like the taste of their own medicine.

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hussain

Aug 04, 2019 04:41pm

Najam Sethi as assumed the role of sooth sayer, having seen his benefactors in jail is obviously disheartening for him. journalists should question any government policy that's not just their right but the fundamental right of all citizens, that said some journalists seem to have a carte Blanche attitude to denigrating or making false allegations about people's personal lives , whether it be the PM or the ordinary citizen. Hosting a tv show does not make you an intellectual or holding a "dr" title before your name may suggest a medicine background but does infer a grounding in geo-politics.

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RHSULTAN

Aug 04, 2019 04:53pm

@Arshad, Criticizng govt policy is ok and media is free to that extent. Nevertheless if some one criticizes one`s family or his/her personal and private life that should be condemned.Najam Sethi other wise is senior and matured person and it does not suit him to hit some one below the belt.

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Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

Aug 04, 2019 05:59pm

PM Imran took five months from March till August to claim damages is not understood by me if not you. Secondly I have hears so much defamation claims all running into billions if not trillions from everyone against everyone but hardly anyone paid or anyone received. For examples retired CJP Justice Iftikhar, Imran Khan and Shehbaz Sharif, to name a few had instituted such claims over last few years but what is the net result. Moreover how Imran now as PM evaluated his worth amounting to 10 billions while in past also I believe he asked for same money? Shouldn't he as PM be worth minimum 1000 trillion? Shouldn't PM Imran enhance his value and apply afresh? I still very vividly remember that such valuation of person was not taught to me in Punjab University Law College, Lahore during my study 1966-1969. Please enlighten me the formula to value a person, ehsan hoga. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait / zaidi.iqbalhadi@hotmail.com

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hussain

Aug 04, 2019 06:31pm

@Jehengir khan, somebody attacking you professionally is one thing, attacking and mocking your personal life is another

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SkyHawk

Aug 04, 2019 07:18pm

This Najam Sethi should be put behind bars.

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Fkhan

Aug 04, 2019 07:20pm

Mr Sethi is not a gentleman.He was my tenant and I have first hand experience of him trying to arm twist for his own gains.Lying is his habit.

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Abbas shah

Aug 04, 2019 09:02pm

Read derogatory remarks about Trump&Boris Johnson in UK &American press .

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Arslan Memon

Aug 04, 2019 09:12pm

Criticism on someone must be to notch for turning back on righteous path, not for indulging in once personal life-leads to penance for wages- sethi sahab should prevent from all such misadvantures.

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Captain

Aug 04, 2019 09:40pm

Personal life is not to be discussed despite political differences and one should respect those ...... however if proved to be a criminal etc once may use such words and language

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N Abidi

Aug 04, 2019 10:57pm

Sethi needs therapy,nawaz pmln are not coming in power ,even he can not help him this time.

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MONIER

Aug 04, 2019 11:11pm

This man Sethi has a record of putting himself in trouble.

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Jalbani Baloch

Aug 05, 2019 12:15am

It is better to create consensus for establishment political courts in Pakistan to decide the political matters, so that the cases of ordinary nature could not languish in civil courts for years and years on. Every now and then, our courts are got entangled in political matters, as a result, the common people have to go through miseries and suffer long delays in delivery of justice.

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MONIER

Aug 05, 2019 06:33am

Look at his history. He has been always playing with fire of misinformation through is opinions and fake statements.

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