LAHORE: A Lahore Sessions Court summoned Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation suit filed against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf founder Imran Khan.
The case was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Yilmaz Ghani at the Lahore Sessions Court. At the outset, the PTI founder’s counsel requested additional time for cross-examination, stating that senior lawyer Muhammad Hussain would arrive shortly. The court granted the request.
When the hearing resumed, Muhammad Hussain began cross-examining Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who appeared in court and took oath before recording his statement.
During cross-examination, the PTI founder’s lawyer argued that the documents presented in court were neither in his client’s favor nor against him, and that none bore his client’s signatures. In response, Tarar stated that all documents were certified public records proving the defamation claim.
The defense counsel objected to newspaper clippings and related documents, arguing they were neither issued by his client nor written against him. Tarar reiterated that the material formed part of the public record.
Responding to a question about the USB submitted as evidence, Tarar said he personally bought it from Lahore’s Hafeez Center and that the content stored in it was sourced from the media. The PTI founder’s lawyer also questioned Tarar’s political affiliation and credibility, to which the minister replied that his testimony was based on facts, not politics.
After no further questions were asked, the court completed the cross-examination, secured Tarar’s signatures on the relevant documents, and summoned Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan. The hearing was adjourned until November 29.
