Defamation suit: IHC issues notices to PM Imran on Khawaja Asif’s plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan and sought reply on a petition filed by PML-N stalwart Khawaja Asif questioning the legality of the former’s statement in a defamation suit.

A single bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up the petition.

After a preliminary hearing, the court issued a notice to the prime minister Imran Khan and restrained a sessions judge from proceeding with the defamation case till further orders. The hearing was adjourned till Jan 12.

On Dec 17, the prime minister recorded his statement before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Adnan through a video link in the defamation suit he had filed against Khawaja Asif in 2012 for levelling allegations about irregularities and money laundering through the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) funds.

In his petition, the PML-N leader said the ADSJ deprived him of his right to cross-examination of the PM Imran Khan.

He said he filed multiple applications for increasing the number of defence witnesses but the judge didn’t decide these applications and instead unilaterally proceeded with the matter.

Asif said the ADSJ recorded the statement of PM Khan in the absence of his counsel.