Shehbaz files petition for quick verdict in defamation suit against Imran

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab filed a petition on Wednesday for quick verdict in the defamation case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan, Geo News reported.

Shehbaz remarked that Imran is employing delay tactics in the case hearing. “The verdict of the case should be given in the next 90 days,” he added.

The petition states that Imran is trying to delay the hearing of the case, as per law the verdict should be announced in the next 90 days. The petition adds daily hearings in the case could also be held.

Imran Khan in a public gathering had claimed that Shehbaz had offered to pay him Rs10 billion to remain hush on the Panama Papers case against the Sharif family.

After Wednesday’s court proceeding, the case was adjourned till December 5.

The case was filed in the court of Lahore additional sessions judge Azfar Sultan under Sections 4 (defamation actionable) and 9 (remedies) of Defamation Ordinance, 2002.

The petition states that “the facts and circumstances giving rise to the filing of the instant suit are that since the last week of April 2017, the Defendant [Imran Khan] started uttering, spreading and resorting to the publication, communication and circulation of maliciously false, baseless and unfounded oral statements and representations against the Plaintiff [Shehbaz].”

Moreover, it states that Imran claimed Shehbaz “offered to pay a sum of Rs10,000,000,000 to the Defendant in exchange for his withdrawing/backing-off from, or remaining silent on the issue of the Panama Papers case.”

On April 25, Khan, during a gathering at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore, alleged that he had been made an offer regarding the Panama case.

"Just imagine how much money he offered me to be silent — Rs10 billion! If he can offer me this much money, just imagine how much he could offer others. That is why if we don't maintain public pressure on this issue, then after two months it will be dragged to the next year," Khan had claimed.

In an interview televised following the statement, Khan refused to reveal the name of the person who made the offer but did state that this person was close to the Punjab chief minister.

In a press conference later in the day, the PTI chairman directly accused Shehbaz of using the law to his benefit. Khan said he was waiting for Shehbaz to take him to court as he would expose all the wrongdoings he [Shehbaz] has committed.