Court Adjourns Rs10bn Defamation Suit Hearing Against PTI Founder Until Sept 16

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2025) A sessions court on Friday adjourned proceedings in the Rs10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder until September 16.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Yilmaz Ghani conducted the hearing. During cross-examination, the PTI founder’s counsel questioned whether a legal notice had been issued, to which Shehbaz’s counsel replied that the notice had been dispatched via courier.

Appearing via video link, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the court that he had returned late last night from a special visit to Qatar to attend the proceedings. “Your honour, you are also occupied with other matters. The country is facing devastating floods that have now entered Sindh. The Federal and provincial governments must work together. An agricultural emergency has been declared. Even today, I have appeared before you for an hour—let us conclude the cross-examination,” he urged.

The defence, however, pointed out that the courier receipts of the legal notice did not carry Shehbaz Sharif’s name.

Responding, the prime minister said the receipts bore his lawyer’s name and were part of the court record. The defence further argued that the receipts did not identify the recipient, to which Shehbaz Sharif responded: “The receipts are before the court.”

The court then adjourned the hearing until September 16, when cross-examination of the prime minister will continue.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, through the defamation suit, had submitted that the PTI founder alleged in a tv programme on April 26, 2017, that the Rs 10 billion bribe offer was made to him by Shehbaz Sharif for silence over the Panama papers case. He said that allegations levelled against him were not only false but also defamatory. He said that PTI founder also failed to tender a publicly broadcast apology despite the fact that he was served a legal notice in May, 2017 for the purpose. The court has been requested to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10bn as compensation for the publication of defamatory content in favour of the plaintiff.