ISLAMABAD: A sessions court on Friday issued a notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a Rs 10 billion suit for damages filed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif under the Defamation Ordinance 2002. Additional District and Sessions Judge Azfar Sultan sought a response from Khan while issuing him a notice for August 21. The suit filed through advocate Mustafa Ramday stated that the defendant (Imran Khan) in April last started uttering false and malicious statements against the plaintiff (Shahbaz Sharif) that the latter had offered Rs 10 billion to the former through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing the case of Panama Papers pending with the Supreme Court. It said that the plaintiff had served a legal notice on the defendant asking him to tender a proper apology within 14 days through print and electronic media. “However, the defendant failed to make an apology and the plaintiff was left with no option but to approach the court for the recovery of the damages.” The suit pleaded that the baseless and defamatory statements by the defendant had lowered the integrity of the plaintiff and caused him extreme mental torture, agony and anxiety. The court has been requested to issue a decree for recovery of Rs 10 billion as compensation for the publication of defamatory content. On July 7, the court had issued a notice to Imran Khan for July 21. However, when the PTI chief allegedly failed to submit his response during Friday’s hearing, the court issued a second notice to Khan to respond to the suit until August 21. Published in Daily Times, July 22nd, 2017.