Court Orders PTI Leader Murad Saeed to Pay Rs2.5 Million in Defamation Damages to Ahsan Iqbal

Islamabad: A district and sessions court in Islamabad has ruled in favor of Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal in a defamation lawsuit against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Murad Saeed.

The judgment was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Hakim Khan, who accepted Ahsan Iqbal’s defamation claim and ordered Murad Saeed to pay Rs2.5 million in damages.

According to the court’s written decision, Murad Saeed failed to substantiate his allegations that Ahsan Iqbal had been involved in Rs70 billion worth of corruption. The court held that the accusations had damaged the federal minister’s reputation and constituted defamation.

The judgment stated that the allegations of corruption, abuse of authority, and receiving illegal commissions against Ahsan Iqbal were defamatory and had harmed his public image, integrity, and personal reputation.

While Ahsan Iqbal had originally sought Rs10 billion in damages, the court ruled that the amount claimed was excessive in light of the available evidence. However, it concluded that the disputed statements had negatively affected his reputation and standing among the public.

The court also observed that the allegations created a negative public perception of Ahsan Iqbal and amounted to a direct attack on his honesty, character, and credibility.

The judgment further noted that Murad Saeed neither appeared before the court nor presented evidence to support his claims.

The case stemmed from a 2019 press conference, during which Murad Saeed, then serving as a federal minister, accused Ahsan Iqbal of corruption in the Multan–Sukkur Motorway Project.