Imran hired Rushdie’s lawyer as legal counsel, claims Tarar

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar has accused former prime minister Imran Khan of hiring lawyer of Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, as his legal counsel.

Tarar made these remarks during a press conference at the party's secretariat in Lahore’s Model Town on Saturday.

He expressed his party's reluctance to intertwine politics with religion but explained that a crucial issue had compelled him to address the matter today.

He alleged that Imran Khan had appointed lawyer Geoffrey Robertson to represent him in international court, claiming that the PTI chairman was approaching international court against his own country.

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Tarar questioned the necessity of Imran Khan appointing Rushdie’s lawyer as his counsel in the face of international litigation. He argued, "Is there no other competent lawyer in the world? Geoffrey Robertson had also been Rushdie's lawyer. Is politics so critical that you hire this counsel against your own country in international courts,” he questioned.

He further said that the lawyer had also offended the Christian community by publishing blasphemous material against Hazrat Isa (AS), adding that he had also written reports in favour of Indian Army and against Pakistan Army about 1971 war.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has vehemently denied allegations of appointing Rushdie's lawyer as Imran's legal counsel.

A PTI spokesperson criticised “misleading” information circulating regarding a foreign law firm and clarified that there is no truth to such claims nor has any such thought had the backing of the party chief.

He said the PTI chief has been targeted with over 180 false and fabricated cases filed during the past 16 months. The spokesperson further said that a former prime minister of Pakistan and his party, PTI, which according to him is the largest and most popular political party in Pakistan, were being subjected to worst form of revenge in the nation's history.