Defamation: Former DAG files Rs100 million suit against Yasin Azad

‘Sevadar’ Khurshid Khan says by polishing shoes in India, he was promoting peace, tolerance.

PESHAWAR:

Former deputy attorney general (DAG) of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Khurshid Khan has filed a suit for damages worth Rs100 million against the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Yaseen Azad for allegedly defaming him worldwide.

The suit was filed following Azad’s failure to tender an apology when he served Khan with a show cause notice for allegedly defaming Pakistan by polishing shoes, sweeping floors and washing dishes at places of worship in India during his visit in March.

Consequently, the former DAG issued Azad a notice to either tender an apology or pay Rs100 million for allegedly defaming him internationally. The suit was filed and submitted by Khan at a local court in Peshawar on Wednesday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said that he has been serving minorities and performing “seva” (community service) to help promote harmony between world religions and to portray a soft image of the country — particularly of the Pakhtun community.

The former DAG revealed that he had polished shoes of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and even Muslims in and outside the country so that the world was conveyed the message that “Pakistanis are peace loving people and hate intolerance”.

Khan stated that only the government had the right to question him regarding his activities in India and that he had asked Azad – twice: first on August 6 and then on August 27 – to explain why he was served with the notice, but Azad never replied. Subsequently, the former DAG filed for a defamation suit against the SCBA president.

The petition, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, read that Azad’s action was meant to create hardships between the two neighbouring nations and he had nothing to do with Khan’s “sevadari”.

The SCBA president’s action was widely condemned by the legal fraternity including Asma Jahangir — who had also been accompanying the visiting delegation to India.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2012.