Defamation suit: LHC dismisses petition of Imran Khan to set aside trial court’s decision

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition of PTI former chairman Imran Khan praying to set aside a trial court’s decision of not summoning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for recording his statement in a defamation suit.

The trial court on May 5, 2023 had turned down a request of Imran Khan to dismiss the defamation suit on technical grounds, directing him to present his evidence.

The court announced the decision reserved the other day and dismissed the petition for being not maintainable.

The court observed that the law empowers a court to record statement of a party in a civil suit through personal appearance or submission of an affidavit.

Imran’s counsel had argued that PM Shehbaz had filed a defamation suit against his client in 2017 but was not being summoned in person to record his statement, instead relying on a written affidavit.

He said under the law, the plaintiff/PM Shehbaz must personally appear in court to record his statement in the defamation suit.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the trial court’s decision and asked the PM Shehbaz to appear in person to record his statement in the suit.

The defamation suit contended that Imran Khan wrongly accused PM Shehbaz of offering rupees ten billion to the latter through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing the Panama Papers case.

Shehbaz said Imran levelled baseless allegations on him, seeking a decree for recovery of rupees ten billion as compensation from the defendant for publication of defamatory content.

Imran in his reply maintained that he did not specifically attribute any statement to the plaintiff (PM Shehbaz) while narrating the incident.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024