Tarnished image: Waseem Akhtar issued notice in Rangers defamation case

Rangers want Rs500 million in compensation for 'damaging their prestige'

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Thursday a notice to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Waseem Akhtar on the Rangers defamation suit claiming Rs500 million over his alleged accusation that the paramilitary force was involved in the theft of animal hides.

The court has directed the defendant to, either personally or through his lawyer, file comments on the allegations contained in the lawsuit. The paramilitary force had sued the MQM leader through its authorised officer, Major Ubaidur Rehman. He said that Akhtar had, on a private TV show on September 29, made defamatory statements and leveled allegations that the Rangers were involved in the theft of 18,000 hides of sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha in Karachi.

It was said in the suit that, while the Rangers had sent a legal notice to Akhtar on October 26 to explain his allegations, the notice was returned undelivered. Major Rehman added that the legal notice was once again sent to his new address on November 2 and the MQM leader replied to it on November 11 but failed to comply with the requirement of the said legal notice.

The court was pleaded to decree the suit against him and order him to pay Rs500 million for damaging the reputation of the paramilitary force. The court was also requested to issue a stay order, restraining the MQM leader from issuing any such statements against the Rangers in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th,  2015.