Disputed Content: Man seeks damages from father

LAHORE: A civil judge on Saturday granted a stay order to the petitioners and restrained the author and the publisher of a book from distributing and publishing it.  The court gave this ruling in a defamation suit filed by a son and daughter-in-law of the author. The petitioners are also seeking damages from the author over their “character assassination”.  Petitioners Samina Shahbaz (daughter-in-law of the author) and Muhammad Shahbaz (son of the author) submitted that respondent Sufi Muhammad Yaqoob had levelled false allegations against them and their neighbours. They said that he had distributed more than 500 copies of his book. They said the publishers, Maktaba-i-Shafi, located on Ravi Road were planning to publish more. They said the book had caused them mental agony and asked for Rs5,000,000 in damages.  The court directed the respondents not to distribute and publish the book until the next hearing. The judge also issued notices to the respondents to appear in court on September 21.  Shahbaz said he was a worker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. He said the book could affect his political career.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2016.