No victory for Sharif as today's hearing 'strictly preliminary', says David Rose

LONDON: British journalist David Rose who wrote an investigative piece on Shehbaz Sharif has responded Friday to the reporting over London court’s hearing earlier today that it is not the final verdict as the trial has yet to begin, ARY News reported.

Via his Twitter handle, the Daily Mail journalist tweeted, saying, “It seems some in Pakistan are claiming that the London judge in today’s hearing in the Shehbaz Sharif case has said our evidence is not “up to the mark.”

It seems some in Pakistan are claiming that the London judge in today’s hearing in the Shahbaz Sharif case has said our evidence is not “up to the mark”. This is untrue. He has made no such comment. Today’s hearing is not a victory for anyone. It was strictly preliminary. OK?

— David Rose (@DavidRoseUK) February 5, 2021

“This is untrue,” he said.

Adding further, he said the Judge made no such comment. “Today’s hearing is not a victory for anyone. It was strictly preliminary.”

Contrary to some Pakistani reports, today’s hearing in the Shahbaz Sharif defamation case is strictly preliminary. The judgment sets the parameters for the eventual trial, which lies in the future: it determines what the court says the article means. It is NOT a final outcome.

— David Rose (@DavidRoseUK) February 5, 2021

In his earlier tweet on the same development, Rose said the judgment “sets the parameters for the eventual trial, which lies in the future”.

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Separately, the Prime Minister’s aide on accountability Shahzad Akbar said on the development, while talking to ARY News, that today’s hearing was in no way to be misconstrued for a victory for Shehbaz Sharif, adding that Daily Mail will likely furnish the evidence to support the money laundering story it published in Punjab’s former chief’s case.

It is quite easy for Daily Mail to prove Shehbaz Sharif laundered money, he said.