In a slander lawsuit, IHC authorises Kh Asif to cross-examine PM.

ISLAMABAD – On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted permission for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif to cross-examine Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in a defamation case.

During the hearing, the high court granted Khawaja Asif’s request to cross-examine the prime minister. The IHC has mandated that the matter be concluded within the time frame specified by having hearings on a daily basis.

Previously, the IHC had barred the trial court from advancing in a defamation lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Imran Khan against Khawaja Asif.

The court issued a notice to the premier and requested a response.

It should be noted that Khawaja Asif had contested the legitimacy of PM Imran’s statement in the case, which was recorded through video connection. He stated that the trial court refused to allow him to record the disagreement about PM’s evidence.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah expressed displeasure with the case’s protracted resolution. Responding to the court, Khawaja Asif’s lawyer stated that the lawsuit was filed in 2012, but the objections brought by the parties were resolved in 2021.

The judge stated that the court had previously instructed that the defamation charges be resolved as quickly as possible. He estimated that the defamation suit would take two months to complete.

According to Asif’s lawyer, both parties obtained a restraining order.

Previously, PM Imran had launched a Rs10 billion defamation action against Khawaja Asif in 2012, alleging theft and money laundering using the Shaukat Khanam Memorial Trust (SKMT) funds.