Arrest warrants issued for PML-N's Hanif Abbasi in SKMT defamation case

A District and Sessions Court of Rawalpindi has issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Hanif Abbasi, in a defamation case filed by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT). Abbasi, in 2012, had accused the trust of misusing public funds.

According to the Trust spokesman, Hanif Abbasi in a TV program in 2012 had accused the Trust’s board members of taking exorbitant salaries from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

He had alleged that the 19 board members were relatives of Imran Khan and that they misuse the Trust funds on the directives of Imran Khan.

"The fact is that none of the board members takes any money on any account and only three board members are relatives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is chairman of the board of governors," the spokesperson explained.

The hospital had already clarified it through newspapers while Khan had also rejected these allegations in a press conference back then.

The spokesman also said Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital was publicly known and acknowledged as a charity-driven institution, which treated thousands of cancer patients every year free of cost with the support of people.

Following the development, the Trust chief executive officer had filed a suit of Rs. 100 million against Abbasi on behalf of the board of governors on May 3, 2012.

The Arrest Warrants

Hanif Abbasi has been unable to pay the fine imposed by the court. Hence, his arrest warrants have been issued and he’s likely to get arrested. Abbasi is not the only PML-N leader who tried to malign Shaukat Khanum hospital's reputation.

Besides him, PML-N’s Khwaja Asif had also leveled similar allegations against Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust Hospital back in 2012.