Retired justice to Afzal Khan: Apologise or pay Rs20 million
Retired justice Riaz Kayani serves legal notice to former ECP official Afzal Khan for 'false' allegations
KARACHI:
After making revelations that threw Pakistani politics into yet another tailspin, former Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) official Afzal Khan has been served a legal notice by Justice (retired) Riaz Kayani, one of the former ECP officials Afzal accused of being part of the rigging process.
The allegations by Khan implicated an entire cadre of judges, journalists, and election officials to be part of the alleged rigging in the general elections last year.
In a three-page notice delivered by his lawyer Saleem Shahnazi, the document accused Afzal of making "wild" and "false" accusations against Kayani, and demanded an immediate public apology, or damages worth Rs20 million.
On August 25, Afzal Khan claimed that former Supreme Court chief justices Iftikhar Chaudhry and Tassaduq Jillani, justices Ramday and Kayani, and former chief election commissioner Fakhruddin Ibrahim were all responsible for the alleged rigging.
Kayani responded immediately to the allegations and staged a press conference in which he denied the allegations, calling them a "bare-faced lie".
“Had I known that I would be maligned like this, that I would be aligned to a party – had I known, I would have never have come[to the ECP],” he said.
The notice said the allegations have caused "injury to the reputation, honour and dignity" of Kayani.
It also stated that Afzal Khan implicated him only because Kayani refused Afzal Khan's promotion.
Compiled by Saim Saeed, with additional reporting by Irfan Ghauri.
After making revelations that threw Pakistani politics into yet another tailspin, former Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) official Afzal Khan has been served a legal notice by Justice (retired) Riaz Kayani, one of the former ECP officials Afzal accused of being part of the rigging process.
The allegations by Khan implicated an entire cadre of judges, journalists, and election officials to be part of the alleged rigging in the general elections last year.
In a three-page notice delivered by his lawyer Saleem Shahnazi, the document accused Afzal of making "wild" and "false" accusations against Kayani, and demanded an immediate public apology, or damages worth Rs20 million.
On August 25, Afzal Khan claimed that former Supreme Court chief justices Iftikhar Chaudhry and Tassaduq Jillani, justices Ramday and Kayani, and former chief election commissioner Fakhruddin Ibrahim were all responsible for the alleged rigging.
Kayani responded immediately to the allegations and staged a press conference in which he denied the allegations, calling them a "bare-faced lie".
“Had I known that I would be maligned like this, that I would be aligned to a party – had I known, I would have never have come[to the ECP],” he said.
The notice said the allegations have caused "injury to the reputation, honour and dignity" of Kayani.
It also stated that Afzal Khan implicated him only because Kayani refused Afzal Khan's promotion.
Compiled by Saim Saeed, with additional reporting by Irfan Ghauri.