A session court here on Friday issued a notice to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan for July 21 in a suit of damages filed by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. The suit for damages of rupees 10 billion filed under Defamation Ordinance, 2002, through Mustafa Ramday stated that the defendant Imran Khan in April last started uttering false and malicious statements against the plaintiff Shehbaz Sharif that he offered Rs 10 billion to the former through a common friend in exchange of withdrawing the case of Panama Papers.
The plaintiff served a legal notice to the defendant asking him to tender a proper apology within 14 days through print and electronic media. However, the defendant failed to make an apology and the plaintiff left with no option but to approach the court for recovery of damages. The suit pleaded that the baseless and defamatory statements by the defendant lowered the integrity of the plaintiff and caused him extreme mental torture, agony and anxiety and prayed to issue a decree of compensation in favour of the plaintiff.