Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday withdrew an application challenging the territorial jurisdiction of the Sessions Court to hear a defamation suit filed against him by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif claiming damages for levelling false accusations. Since the defendant withdrew the objection, the court directed his counsel to submit rejoinder to the defamation suit by May 15.
An Additional District & Sessions Judge Amjad Khan was set to announce verdict on the application against the court's jurisdiction he reserved at the last hearing. However, Pir Masood Chishti advocate appeared before the court on behalf of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and withdrew the application. The counsel said the defendant conceded to the jurisdiction of the court to hear and decide the suit on its merits.
Opposing the suit on technical grounds, Imran Khan had taken a plea that his press conference questioned by the plaintiff was held in Islamabad and a court of Lahore lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. It asked the court to dismiss the suit for being not maintainable. Shahbaz Sharif had filed the suit on July 8, 2017, when Imran Khan being head of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had accused Shahbaz Sharif of offered him Rs 10 billion for withdrawing case of Panama Papers before the Supreme Court.
In his suit, Shahbaz Sharif said that Imran Khan at the press conference levelled baseless allegation against him of offering him money through a common friend for withdrawing the Panama Papers case. He sought a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation from Imran Khan.