Ex-MPA files defamation suit against Imran

PESHAWAR: Former MPA belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Bibi Fauzia on Thursday filed a suit for damages against party Chairman Imran Khan for defaming her by levelling accusations that she had sold her vote for Rs40 million in the Senate election.

The former PTI MPA from Chitral district, whose membership was suspended by the PTI, filed the suit for damages in the court of district and sessions judge, Peshawar, through his lawyer Ghufranullah Shah.

She has sought an order of the court against the PTI chairman to decree Rs5 billion as damages for defaming her.

It was submitted that the plaintiff was a law abiding citizen and belonged to highly-respectable family, adding that she had excellent reputation in her political and social circles.

Having good reputation, it said, she was assigned the role of parliamentary secretary for tourism and allied services.

The plaintiff claimed in the suit that in the recent Senate elections, she followed the party policy and cast her vote to the party's candidates nominated for general and reserved seats.

After the election, she stated that the defendant Imran Khan started uttering, spreading and resorting to the publication, communication and circulation "maliciously false, baseless and oral" statements and representation against the plaintiff.

Furthermore, she stated that the defendant Imran Khan accused the plaintiff of horse-trading by way of selling her vote for money through all electronic, print and social media, which was widely published and broadcast in national and international newspapers and news channels.

The plaintiff clarified her position by taking oath on the Holy Quran and denied the allegations. She said the present suit was also supported by an affidavit on oath.

The PTI former MPA stated the she had received a show-cause notice from the party leadership and was asked to explain her position on the allegations. She said that she submitted her detailed reply on April 28 and then an inquiry committee was formed under the party's central leader Naeemul Haq.

However, she claimed that Naeemul Haq failed to call the meeting and a second committee headed by former KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser was formed, but that too refused to call the meeting.

After waiting for a long period, she issued a legal notice to PTI chairman through her lawyer on May 22, asking him to tender apology or pay damages for defaming her.

Bibi Fauzia told The News after filing damages suit in the court that now she wanted to prove herself as innocent in the court as the defendant failed to decide her case after levelling serious allegations as he had no proofs against her. She claimed that the defendant had destroyed her political and social career by levelling the wrong allegations. The PTI expelled 14 MPAs including women from the party after accusing them of selling votes in the Senate election.