LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday adjourned a Rs10 billion defamation suit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan as the counsel for the defendant continued the cross-examination of the plaintiff.
Additional District & Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Yalmaz Ghani conducted the hearing on the suit, while PM Shehbaz and his counsel Mustafa Ramday joined via a video link.
At the outset of the hearing, the prime minister congratulated all attendees on winning the battle against India.
In response, the judge also said, “Congratulations to you as well.”
Advocate Muhammad Hussain Chotia, the counsel for the PTI founder, said this was indeed a matter of joy and it was a victory for the whole nation.
During cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel asked the plaintiff whether the alleged defamatory statement had been made in writing.
The prime minister said the allegations had been repeatedly made on television.
The lawyer then asked PM Shehbaz whether he himself ever made such accusations in politics.
However, the prime minister claimed that he had never made any allegation without evidence.
The lawyer asked the plaintiff what could be the motive behind the PTI founder’s speeches and statements.
At this, PM Shehbaz said this question should be asked from the defendant.
The judge also objected to the question posed by the defendant’s lawyer, terming it irrelevant.
Asked about the outcome of the Panama Papers case, PM Shehbaz said it was not against him and he was not aware of the ruling.
Responding to a follow-up question, the prime minister reiterated that he was not a party to the Panama Papers case and that this fact was part of the record.
The PM stated that he had been subjected to a serious and dishonest accusation by the defendant.
The cross-examination was in progress when the judge adjourned further hearing till June 2.
In his defamation suit filed in 2017, PM Shehbaz said Imran Khan levelled baseless allegations on him.
He sought a decree for recovery of Rs10bn as compensation from the defendant for publication of defamatory content.
Imran Khan had filed his reply to the suit with a delay of four years in 2021, saying one of his friends told him that someone known to him and also the Sharif family had approached him with an offer to pay billions of rupees if he could convince him (Mr Khan) to stop pursuing the Panama Papers case.
The former prime minister said he disclosed the incident for the consumption of the public at large, and an act in the interest of the public good does not constitute any defamation.
The reply maintained that Mr Khan did not specifically attribute any statement to the plaintiff (PM Shehbaz) while narrating the incident.
Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025
