LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has engaged Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar as his counsel in a defamation suit filed by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Additional District & Sessions Judge Yasir Hayat on Monday an associate of Barrister Zafar filed his power of attorney on behalf of the PM.

The court however asked the counsel to submit his power of attorney personally on the next hearing and rose for April 6.

Earlier advocates Pir Masood Chishti and Babar Awan were representing the prime minister in the suit pending for four years.

On the previous hearing, Khan’s counsel had given an undertaking in writing that on next hearing arguments will be advanced positively and no further adjournment will be sought.

The defamation suit stated that Imran Khan started uttering false and malicious statements against the Shehbaz Sharif that the latter offered Rs 10 billion to the former through a common friend in exchange of withdrawing the case of Panama Papers pending before the Supreme Court.

It said the plaintiff served a legal notice to the defendant asking him to tender a proper apology within 14 days through print and electronic media otherwise the plaintiff would leave with no option but to approach the court for recovery of damages.

The suit pleaded that the baseless and defamatory statements by the defendant lowered the integrity of the plaintiff and caused him extreme mental torture, agony and anxiety and prayed to the court to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation in favour of the plaintiff.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021