Shehbaz defamation case: LHC reserves verdict on Imran's appeal

The defamation suit was filed by Shehbaz Sharif against then opposition leader Imran Khan in 2017.

Listen to article

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has reserved its verdict on the admissibility of Imran Khan's appeal in a defamation suit filed by Shehbaz Sharif.

The hearing took place in the High Court regarding Khan's appeal against the trial court's decision to allow witnesses to provide written testimony in the defamation case, Express News reported.

In his appeal, Imran Khan argued that the trial court's decision to permit written testimony in the defamation case was contrary to the facts.

He requested that witnesses testify in person in the courtroom. Khan's legal team urged the court to annul the trial court’s decision.

Following the hearing, Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal of the Lahore High Court reserved his decision on whether Khan's appeal is admissible.

2017 Defamation Suit

A defamation suit was filed by Shehbaz Sharif against then opposition leader Imran Khan. The case, initially filed in 2017, accuses Khan of making defamatory statements about Sharif that allegedly caused harm to his reputation and mental well-being.

Sharif’s defamation claim stems from Khan’s allegations, which suggested that Sharif offered him Rs10 billion through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing from the Panama Papers case, which was then pending before Supreme Court.

According to the suit, these "baseless and malicious" statements were widely circulated by the media, damaging Sharif’s public image and causing "extreme mental torture, agony, and anxiety."

Sharif’s legal team has asked the court to issue a decree for the recovery of Rs10 billion in compensation for the defamation, as well as for the harm caused by the statements. The prime minister contends that the accusations were false and led to significant reputational damage.

In response, Khan filed a reply in 2021, claiming that the information had been passed on to him by a friend, who had allegedly been approached by a member of the Sharif family with an offer to stop pursuing the Panama case.

Khan stated that he revealed the incident in the public interest and argued that his statement did not specifically attribute any part of the allegation to Sharif.

The Lahore High Court, led by Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, heard the arguments on the admissibility of the petition and has now reserved its judgment on whether the defamation suit against Khan can proceed.