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Pakistan: Shock to Imran Khan, petition dismissed in six-year-old defamation case

Lahore. A Pakistani court has dismissed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s petition in a six-year-old defamation case. Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had filed this $61 million defamation case against Imran. Imran had challenged in the High Court the Lahore sessions court’s decision to deny him the “right of reply” in the case.

Lahore High Court Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal on Friday dismissed Imran’s plea after hearing arguments from both sides and upheld the sessions court’s decision. Earlier, the sessions court had said that Imran, 70, has lost his right to “respond or protest” by failing to respond in time to the objections raised by Shehbaz.

Imran had alleged in April 2017 that Shehbaz had offered him (Imran) US$61 million (approx. 10 billion Pakistani rupees) was offered. Imran did not name the person who allegedly offered him USD 61 million on behalf of Shehbaz.

Later, the defamation suit filed on behalf of Shehbaz stated that the respondent (Imran) has made false and malicious statements against him. Shahbaz had alleged that Imran had damaged his reputation. He requested the court to issue an order to recover USD 61 million as compensation in the matter. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif from the post of prime minister in the Panama Papers case.

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