Defamation: Top court reserves verdict in case filed against Imran Khan

Iftikhar Chaudhry had earlier filed a Rs30 billion defamation lawsuit in the court against the PTI chief

ISLAMABAD:

A district and sessions court on Saturday reserved judgment whether to halt or continue hearing of a defamation suit against Pakistan Tenreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on a plea of Imran’s counsel who argued he had challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) a fine slapped on him by this court earlier.

Former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had earlier filed a Rs30 billion defamation lawsuit in the district and sessions court against the PTI chief.

Imran’s counsel Babar Awan argued that the court should halt hearing in the case until the IHC adjudicates his appeal against the lower court’s decision.

Read: Media trial: PHC stays lower court proceedings in defamation suit against Imran

Sheikh Ahsanuddin, who represented Chaudhry, said that the rival party was misleading the court persistently as he had not presented evidence in support of his petition filed in the IHC.

Din contended that the rival party was defying court order and Awan has failed to deposit the fine amount slapped on him.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2015.