Info Minister claims ‘Daily Mail failed to prove allegations before UK court’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Friday that the British publication Daily Mail Online failed to prove the allegations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law before the United Kingdom (UK) court in the defamation case, ARY News reported.

Marriyum Aurangzeb reacted to the media reports about the defamation case filed by Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law against the British publication Daily Mail Online and said in a statement that the British publication deliberately delayed the case proceedings for 1.5 years.

She claimed that the petitioners already won the case to the extent of stating their position. She added that the legal fee of the case was being paid following the pleas.

The UK court’s judge had fixed the hearing of Daily Mail’s allegations against Sharif on December 13 and a reply will be submitted by the said date, she added.

Aurangzeb said that Sharif had already submitted his response in the case and the trial will formally begin in December 2023.

READ: SHEHBAZ SUES DAILY MAIL, REPORTER DAVID ROSE OVER EARTHQUAKE FUNDS STORY

Earlier, it was learnt that the British court rejected PM Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for an indefinite adjournment in the Daily Mail defamation case.

According to details, Shehbaz Sharif’s Daily Mail defamation case was heard in the London court by Justice Matthew Nicklin.

The court while rejecting Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s request for indefinite adjournment refused to give more time to the applicant.

The lawyers took a position that the prime minister of Pakistan is busy, and more time should be given for the submission of answers, on which Justice Mathew Nicklin remarked that in his court, the prime minister and the common man are equal.

READ: DAILY MAIL SUBMITS RESPONSE TO DEFAMATION CASE BY SHEHBAZ SHARIF

It may be noted that PM Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law Ali Imran have not yet been able to respond to the defense of Daily Mail in court. In case, if Shehbaz Sharif fails to respond in the case, he will have to pay the legal expenses to the Daily Mail.

What Daily Mail published?

Reportedly, the British paper has claimed that Shehbaz and his son-in-law’s assets skyrocketed after he ascend to Chief Ministership. Ramzan sugar mill has also been mentioned in the response, the sources say.

“We had asked the Shareef family’s opinion before publishing the story” Daily Mail claims.

According to newspaper officials, David Rose talked to Salman Shehbaz twice, Maryam Aurangzeb and Azam Tarar were also contacted but they did not respond.