Punjab Assembly Speaker Records Testimony in Shehbaz Sharif’s Defamation Case Against Imran Khan

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan on Friday recorded his statement as a witness in the defamation lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against PTI founder Imran Khan.

Session Judge Yilmaz Ghani had summoned Malik Ahmed Khan in the Rs10 billion defamation case, after which the Speaker appeared before the court and presented his testimony.

In his statement, Malik Ahmed Khan said Imran Khan had levelled false allegations of bribery against Shehbaz Sharif, adding that the PTI founder made serious accusations in April 2017 which were aired across multiple television channels.

He stated that he has long-standing political affiliation with Shehbaz Sharif, who served the public as chief minister and prime minister. He added that in his view, the allegations made by Imran Khan amounted to misleading propaganda against Shehbaz Sharif.

He further noted that Islam strongly condemns lies and backbiting, saying that fabricating accusations against someone is not permissible, even from a religious standpoint. “The plaintiff has every right to bring this claim before the court,” he said.

During cross-examination, Imran Khan’s counsel Ahmad Hussain Chotiyana questioned whether all the TV programs mentioned by the witness were aired from Punjab. Malik Ahmed Khan replied that although they were national broadcasts, not all were aired from Punjab.

The counsel then asked if he knew the nature of the Panama Papers case. Malik Ahmed Khan responded that the Panama Papers listed individuals with overseas investments.

When asked whether Imran Khan had filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the Panama Papers, he said he had no such knowledge. The lawyer further asked whether he knew that the petition was filed against Nawaz Sharif and others, to which Malik Ahmed Khan responded that he was not aware of the details.

He acknowledged that Nawaz Sharif was convicted in cases arising from the Panama Papers. The defence suggested that Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation claim was baseless, which Malik Ahmed Khan rejected as false.

Following the completion of cross-examination, the court summoned additional witnesses for the next hearing and adjourned the proceedings until **December 13**.

Speaking to the media afterward, Malik Ahmed Khan said he came to court with “mental anguish” as the case has been ongoing for seven years. He praised recent parliamentary amendments, stating that only Parliament has the authority to write the Constitution. He also cited IMF recommendations to strengthen Parliament.

He questioned whether the PTI founder was being treated as a “special favourite,” noting that Shehbaz Sharif was also jailed under the same prison rules and was not even allowed home-cooked meals. He said the jail manual does not allow meetings with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, adding that when groups like TLP commit acts similar to May 9 violence, bans are imposed—yet, in the past, decisions like the Panama case resulted in the removal of an elected prime minister.