Defamation case against Murad Saeed: Court to announce judgment on 20th

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday fixed May 20 for the announcement of its judgment in a defamation case filed by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former minister Murad Saeed.

Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir Bhatti had earlier reserved its judgment, following the completion of arguments of both parties in the defamation case filed by Iqbal against former Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Saeed.

The case stems from allegations made by Murad Saeed, who accused Ahsan Iqbal of corruption in the Sukkur-Multan Motorway project during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tenure.

In response, Iqbal filed Rs10 billion defamation lawsuit, claiming the accusations were baseless and had damaged his reputation.

The PML-N leader personally appeared in court and recorded his statement, while Saeed has been represented by his legal counsel throughout the proceedings.

The court reserved the decision after hearing final arguments from the lawyers of both parties.

Saeed held a press conference on February 8, 2019, in which, he accused Iqbal of taking bribes and indulging in corruption of Rs70 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

Iqbal sent a legal notice to Saeed in March 2019.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025