Bushra Bibi, the wife of ex-prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, served a legal notice to PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz on Thursday for hurling “defamatory, false, frivolous and slanderous” accusations against the former during a recent public speech.

The notice, sent through Advocate Fareed, mentions a speech given by Maryam on May 1 at a PML-N convention in Lahore.

The notice said the PML-N leader had accused Bushra Bibi of taking “five-karat gold rings as bribes for getting documents signed by authorities” during her address.

The notice, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said that Maryam’s statement was part of a “vilification campaign” aimed to “harm, defame and denigrate” Bushra Bibi and her family with “criminal object to benefit the political opponents of the client’s husband Mr Imran Khan Niazi”.

“You [Maryam], through a well-thought action to attack, defame and malign our client, intentionally and knowingly the falsehood of your false and fabricated statement, have wrongfully accused our client, who is a pious, pardah nasheen lady and a ‘house wife’, in spite of that she has been targetted by you, most atrociously to satisfy ill-will, malicious and vindictive agenda against the client and her family to achieve mischievous objectives,” it stated.

The notice said that Maryam’s “slanderous” statement, which it stated was heard and viewed by everyone across the world and in Pakistan, had created a “ridiculous impression” that Bushra Bibi was a dishonest and unethical person.

It also provided political opponents with a chance to initiate vilification propaganda against the PTI chief and his wife, it added.

The notice further stated that Bushra Bibi and her family had suffered “immense damage to their reputation” of being a law-abiding citizens.

“You [Maryam], being the initiator of this untruthful and dishonest defamation campaign, are primarily responsible for this slanderous vilification campaign.

“It is to remind you that your action is a violation of law and is punishable under the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, by up to five years imprisonment for intentionally and willfully defaming the client,” it said.

The notice asked Maryam to withdraw her May 1 statement and issue an apology to Bushra Bibi within seven days, warning that otherwise, the latter had the legal right to initiate legal action against the PML-N leader in courts.

Earlier this week, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had revealed that Bushra Bibi had decided to lodge a criminal case against Maryam.

“She (Bushra Bibi) never participated in any political activity. She used to visit panahgahs (shelters) only. Although the former first lady is an apolitical person. Maryam continues to hurl allegations against her,” he had added.