KARACHI: Provincial Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) lawmaker and Chairman Standing Committee on Works and Services Syed Abdul Rasheed on Tuesday through his lawyer served defamation notice of Rs 100 million on Public Relation Officer of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College Lyari over what he claimed false, frivolous and baseless allegations during a gathering at the college.

At a gathering at the college, the PRO of the medical College Uzair Rustam had leveled frivolous allegations of corruption on the MPA of Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Abdul Rasheed.

The notice stated that Syed Abdul Rasheed, who got elected from PS 108 (Lyrai) commands immaculate and excellent social reputation amongst the political and social circles of Karachi. He was elected from PS 108 and is Member of Provincial Assembly, Sindh.

It said Rasheed is working hard in order to achieve his party's target i.e. corruption free Pakistan and for such purpose he had variously pointed out the corruption and corrupt practices being carried out in different government departments in his constituency including Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto Medical College and Lyari General Hospital(LGH).

The notice further said The MPA also raised his voice on floor of the Sindh Assembly against the corruption in college and LGH and in consequence thereof the corrupt elements involved in corruption started character assassination of my client. Resultantly, the sheltered corrupt facets started to unveil themselves and came out in order to wrongfully and malafidely malign and defame my client and in such process you being member of this corrupt racket came out and levelled baseless allegations against my client in your speech in a political gathering. Your speech was also recorded in a video and said video was deliberately distributed amongst vide different modes and said video became viral on social media.

It added Uzair Rustum offending speech levelled baseless and frivolous allegations of corruption on Syed Abdul Rasheed as well as his brother which is strictly actionable in law.

"Your (Uzair Rustum) such unlawful, unwarranted and illicit act defamed my client and adversely affected his political career but also tarnished his image in his social circle to an irreparable extent".

The MPA has asked PRO of the college to furnish the proofs of his alleged corruption within 14 days, failing which, latter is also called upon to pay a sum of Rs 100.00 million on account of damages for levelling false, baseless and malicious accusation against him.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020