Defamation suit: Former CJP’s counsel given more time

Iftikhar Chaudhary objects to Babar Awan’s selection as Imran Khan’s counsel.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted on Tuesday two weeks to the counsel of former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry for filing a reply in connection with Rs20 billion defamation suit.

Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi resumed hearing of the case pertaining to a district and sessions court’s order imposing a fine on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s attorney Babar Awan and summoning his reply in the Rs20 billion defamation suit filed by the former chief justice against the PTI chief.

When the case was taken up, Chaudhry’s counsel Ahsanuddin Sheikh requested the court to grant more time for filing a reply over the appointment of Awan as Khan’s lawyer in the defamation case. While accepting his request, the court adjourned the case for the first week of September.

Previously, the IHC had suspended the sessions court order and issued notices to the respondents in the case.

The PTI chief has gone to the high court requesting the court to set aside the sessions court’s orders imposing a Rs500 fine on his counsel. Khan also requested the court to set aside the lower court’s order seeking his comments in the defamation suit filed against him by the former chief justice.

The former CJP filed the suit against the PTI chief for dragging him into rigging allegations in the May 2013 general elections.

On May 30, a sessions judge imposed the fine on Awan for not submitting a reply to the application filed by Chaudhry.

Chaudhry has objected that Awan cannot represent the PTI chairman because he held certain preconceived notions and personal bias against him due to certain judicial orders.

The case will be taken up in the first week of September.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2015.