Bokhari holds Imran Khan accountable for ‘defamation’
A court issued notice to the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Tuesday after leader of the House Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari filed a Rs20.13 million defamation suit against him.
Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of Islamabad High Court issued the notice.
The petitioner contended that Imran Khan filed a case against him in the Supreme Court in December last year alleging that he was involved in land grabbing. The contentious plot was located on Saleem Omar Road, which leads to Bani Gala in Islamabad’s Zone-III.
The counsel for the petitioner, Sheikh Khizer, told the court that Imran Khan could not prove the allegation which was leveled against his client.
He informed the court that on the direction of SC, his client appeared before court on January 11. Later, Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented a complete report on the 380 kanals of disputed land, of which 80 kanals were allegedly held by Senator Bokhari.
CDA had retrieved 300 kanals of land from Raja Zahid Iqbal, Raja Amir Abbas, Raja Hafeez and Raja Tahir Iqbal.
“CDA told the SC that 80 kanal of lands was retrieved from Rizwan Shah, the younger brother of Bokhari. Hence the claims of my client holding the land were not true,” said Khizer.
However, in response to a suo motu notice given by the SC, CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that Senator Bokhari had assured them to return the authority’s 154 kanals and 11 marlas whenever they asked for it.
The counsel said it was proved in the CDA report that Bokhari was not involved in land grabbing. He said Khan had deliberately defamed and passed derogatory remarks against Bokhari.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
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