ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan in response to a plea filed by PML-N stalwart Khawaja Asif, who questioned the legitimacy of the former’s testimony in a defamation case.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah presided over a single bench that heard the case.
Following a preliminary hearing, the court issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan and ordered a session judge not to proceed with the defamation lawsuit until further orders were given. The case has been postponed until January 12th.
On December 17, the prime minister used a video link to record his statement before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Adnan in the defamation suit he filed against Khawaja Asif in 2012 for making charges regarding irregularities and money laundering.
In his petition, the PML-N leader said the ADSJ deprived him of his right to cross-examination of the PM Imran Khan.
He claimed he made repeated motions to increase the number of defense witnesses, but the judge refused to consider them and instead proceeded with the case unilaterally.
PM Khan’s statement was recorded by the ADSJ in the absence of his lawyers, according to Asif.
