PM Imran Khan submits reply in Rs10 bn defamation suit by Shahbaz Sharif

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has submitted a reply in a defamation case filed by Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif over the former’s remarks that he was offered a bribe to stop pursuing the Panama Papers case which later led to the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, the three-time prime minister of the country, ARY NEWS reported.

Four years back, Shahbaz Sharif filed an Rs10 billion defamation lawsuit against PM Imran Khan for accusing him of offering bribe to stay silent over the Panama Papers allegations against the Sharif family.

According to a reply filed in a Lahore session court, PM Imran Khan while demanding to reject the defamation suit said that he was not directly offered money from Nawaz Sharif or Shahbaz Sharif.

Rather, he said that it was offered through someone else and a man named Omar Farooq conveyed that he could be given a huge sum of money after agreeing to stop pursuing the Panama Papers case.

Previously, Prime Minister Imran Khan, said that Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif had offered BMW to the army chief while the younger brother is also recorded on tape with a judge.

“Shahbaz Sharif’s notice does not come under the defamation rules as he had not served notice within 60 days of the remarks,” he said in a reply through his counsel Barrister Ali Zafar adding that the PML-N president served him notice on 08 May 2017 without fulfilling legal formalities.

The prime minister further said that both the brothers are his political opponents and had previously issued statements to defame him. “Shahbaz’s lawsuit is contrary to facts, unsubstantiated and distorted truth,” the prime minister said in his reply and demanded to reject it besides also imposing a fine against the complainant.