IHC seeks PM Imran Khan’s response in defamation suit against Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Imran Khan’s response in a defamation case against senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif.

Imran Khan filed a Rs10 billion defamation suit against Khawaja Asif in 2012 over allegations about the misappropriation of funds of Shaukat Khanam Memorial Trust (SKMT).

A high court bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, heard Asif's plea challenging Additional District and Session Judge Muhammad Adnan's ruling to abolish the defendant's right to conduct cross-examination of PM Imran Khan's statement,  Daily Jang reported.  

At the outset of today's hearing, Asif's counsel informed the court that the trial court ruled out their right to conduct the cross-examination.

The verdict in the defamation case should have been announced within two months of its filing, the court remarked.

The IHC adjourned the hearing of Khawaja Asif's plea till January 12 while restricting the sessions court from further proceeding in the defamation case.

Khawaja Asif challenges trial court's ruling

The PML-N leader had reached out to the IHC on Monday to challenge the sessions court's ruling. In his plea filed through Advocate Gillani, Asif had nominated PM Imran Khan as a party and maintained that the defence lawyer had informed the trial court about his unavailability on the case's hearing on December 17, 2021, due to illness. In spite of this, the e-court recorded PM Imran Khan's statement in absence of the defence lawyer.

PM Imran Khan had virtually appeared before Additional District and Session Judge Muhammad Adnan on December 17, 2021, and verified his affidavit and signatures on the documents attached with it for hearing of Rs10 billion defamation suit he filed against Asif.

During the hearing, PM Imran Khan had said that he signed the affidavit in the oath commissioner's presence. He said that the statement in the affidavit is based on truth.

Asif's plea further stated that the trial court recorded statements by five witnesses presented by the prosecution during the period from April 1 to May 25, 2021.