Shahbaz Sharif vows to sue Imran Khan over graft allegations

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said he would file a Rs26 billion defamation lawsuit against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan for what he said leveling baseless allegations of corruption.

Speaking about Javed Sadiq, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin whom Imran Khan accused of being Shahbaz Sharif’s frontman and making many through corrupt practices with the help of Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif said: "Sadiq was allotted a tender of IT Tower during Pervaiz Ilahi government in Punjab.

"Imran Khan accused me of Rs26 billion corruption. Today, I will announce a Rs26bn defamation lawsuit against Imran Khan," said the Punjab chief minister while addressing a press conference.

He said that he will issue a mandatory 14-day legal notice to Imran Khan, after which he will take the PTI chairman to court.

"Whether a reply comes or not, I will approach the court. If the court proves the allegations against me, then my children I will forever leave politics. But if court proves him wrong, then the nation will make a decision," he said.

The younger brother of the prime minister said "those, who don't want country to prosper, have made a wicked plan to close down Pakistan on November 2”.

Reacting to Punjab Chief Minister’s press conference, Imran Khan took to twitter and said he was amused by “Shahbaz Sharif's hysterical response to my press conference”.

In a string of tweets, the PTI chairman said the biggest lie of Sharif brothers was their claim they don’t lie.

The mother of all lies, he said, was that Sharif brothers made no agreement with Saudi Arabia for exile, a reference to events that took place after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was driven out of power in a military coup and led to departure of the ruling family to Saudi Arabia.

He said PTI leaders Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan would sue Shahbaz Sharif for what he said levelling false allegations against them.

1. Was amused by Shahbaz Sharif's hysterical response to my press conf. His histrionics recalled the saying "the lady doth protest too much"

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 26, 2016

2.Biggest lie of Sharif bros is their claim that they don't lie! Exposed in: Mehran Bank scandal; Freezing of foreign currency accts;

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 26, 2016

3. The mother of all lies: That there was no agreement made with KSA for their exile there.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 26, 2016

4. For leveling false accusations ag them, JKT sued SS for libel to amt of Rs 10 b & Aleem Khan sending SS libel notice for Rs 30 b tomorrow

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 26, 2016