LAHORE: Additional District and Sessions Judge Amjad Khan on Saturday disposed of an application challenging the territorial jurisdiction of Lahore’s sessions court to hear a defamation suit filed by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif against Prime Minister Imran Khan in which the former claimed damages against the latter for leveling false accusations after the counsel of Imran Khan withdrew the application.Earlier, the court had reserved decision on the application moved by the legal team of the premier.However, they withdrew it after which the court disposed of the matter.Advocate Pir Masood Chishti appeared on behalf of the PM and stated that the defendant conceded to the jurisdiction of the court to hear and decide the suit on its merits.Earlier opposing the suit on technical grounds, the legal team of Imran Khan had taken a plea that the press conference of Imran Khan, questioned by the plaintiff, was held in Islamabad and a court of Lahore lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. The had asked the court to dismiss the suit for being not maintainable.Since the defendant withdrew the objection, the judge directed his counsel to submit rejoinder to the defamation suit by next hearing on May 15.According to the details, Shahbaz Sharif had filed the suit in 2017 when he was chief minister of Punjab. Imran Khan being head of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at a press conference in Islamabad had accused Shahbaz Sharif of offering him Rs 10 billion through a common friend for withdrawing case of Panama Papers in the Supreme Court.In his suit, Shahbaz said that Khan leveled baseless allegation on him of offering him (Imran) money through a friend for withdrawing the Panama Papers case.He sought a decree for payment of Rs 10billion as compensation from Imran Khan for publication of defamatory content.
from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2VcwxIy
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