SWABI: An additional district and sessions judge here on Wednesday dismissed a defamation suit of former MPA Miraj Humayun against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, who had charged the ex-lawmaker of selling her vote during the 2018 Senate elections.

The suit was filed under the Defamation Ordinance by Ms Humayun, who was elected an MPA on reserved seat for women on the ticket of Qaumi Watan Party, in April 2018 and the hearing continued for over three years.

Ms Miraj had contended that Mr Khan had defamed her by levelling allegations against her in a press conference wherein he claimed that she had sold out her vote during the March 2018 Senate elections.

The counsel appearing for the plaintiff, Ayaz Khan, told Dawn that the court had rejected the suit under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure under which the defendants had requested the court to reject the suit as it was not maintainable.

He said that a team from the attorney general’s office represented the prime minister and defence minister.

Former MPA Miraj Humayun had filed the suit after 2018 Senate election

Mr Ayaz said Ms Miraj would soon challenge the decision in the Peshawar High Court.

During the Senate elections, Ms Miraj was no longer part of QWP and it was expected that she would join PTI, said a QWP leader.

DEAD CHICKENS SEIZED: Two pickup vans loaded with dead broiler chickens were seized and an FIR registered against eight people in Kalu Khan police station here on Wednesday.

When contacted, district food controller said that the vans were first noticed by police and when they were informed they stopped them near Shewa Adda. He said that around 1,400 dead chickens were seized. He said that cases had been registered against two traders, two drivers and four tikka sellers.

ULEMA’S MEETING: Leading ulema and religious figures here on Wednesday vowed that they would work for resolving people’s disputes in the district to maintain peace.

They were speaking at a meeting convened by DPO Mohammad Shoaib Khan.

Mufti Irshad, a known religious scholar, said the ulema would cooperate with the police to control crime by playing their role in settlement of local disputes.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2021