ISLAMABAD: Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister, has served a defamation discover to ex-party member Sher Afzal Marwat, searching for Rs1 billion in damages over false allegations.
The authorized discover, issued via Jhagra’s counsel, challenges Marwat’s televised claims accusing him of monetary misconduct.
In line with the authorized discover, Marwat falsely alleged throughout two televised speak exhibits on March 11, 2025, that Jhagra had embezzled Rs36 billion from the pension fund. The discover highlights that Marwat additionally accused Jhagra of buying precious properties in Hayatabad and Islamabad utilizing illicit funds.
Jhagra’s authorized counsel, Advocate Ali Gohar Durrani, stated that these allegations had been baseless, malicious, and defamatory, aimed solely at damaging Jhagra’s social {and professional} fame. The discover categorically denies the accusations, stating they lack factual foundation and violate Pakistan’s Defamation Ordinance, 2002.
The discover calls for that Marwat stop and desist from making additional defamatory remarks, situation a public apology via TV channels and social media platforms the place the defamatory statements circulated, retract his statements and make clear the misinformation publicly, and pay Rs1 billion in compensation for reputational {and professional} damages.
Failure to adjust to these calls for inside 14 days will end in civil and felony proceedings, the discover warns.
Responding to the authorized motion, Jhagra took to social media, saying: “See you in court docket, Marwat. No working away now.” In the meantime, his authorized consultant, Durrani, confirmed on X that the defamation discover had been formally served. Marwat has but to reply publicly to the discover.
The event follows rising tensions inside PTI relating to Marwat’s controversial statements and actions.
Final month, PTI founder Imran Khan, presently incarcerated, ordered Marwat’s instant expulsion from the social gathering for repeated violations of social gathering self-discipline.
The choice was made after Marwat made controversial remarks at a Swabi rally towards alleged election rigging, the place he claimed that “dangerous folks” like him had been useful throughout tough instances, whereas “good folks” remained silent.
Khan expressed outrage over Marwat’s statements and directed the social gathering management to situation a proper termination of his membership.
Marwat has regularly been at odds with PTI’s management and has overtly criticized social gathering choices. He responded to his expulsion by arguing that his unwavering help for PTI in tough instances had been ignored and that his stance was by no means correctly heard earlier than his elimination.
Moreover, Marwat lately stirred additional controversy by accusing PTI’s abroad influencers of prioritising private monetary good points over the social gathering’s pursuits.
He claimed that lots of PTI’s worldwide supporters had been extra centered on securing donations and profitable engagements moderately than strengthening the social gathering’s political motion.