LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday sought arguments from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel on a miscellaneous application by a lawyer for PTI founding chairman Imran Khan seeking permission to meet his client in jail regarding a Rs10 billion defamation suit filed by the former against the latter.
Earlier, Khan’s counsel, Muhammad Hussain Chotia, argued for permission to meet his client at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, saying he needed instructions from him regarding the case and his signatures on documents.
He told the court that the jail authorities were not allowing the meeting. He asked the court to direct the jail superintendent to permit him to meet Khan.
Additional District & Sessions Judge Yalmaz Ghani adjourned the hearing till Oct 31 and sought arguments from the prime minister’s lawyer.
In his suit filed in 2017, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Imran Khan levelled baseless allegations against him in connection with the Panama Papers controversy.
He sought a decree for recovery of Rs10bn as compensation from the defendant for publication of defamatory content.
Several key government figures, including Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan have already recorded their statements in support of the plaintiff, the prime minister.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026