PTI Chairman Imran Khan sends Rs10bn defamation notice to Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel for ‘disparaging, malicious’ allegations

ISLAMABAD, May 30 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday sent a Rs10 billion defamation notice to Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel after the latter held a press conference claiming, among other things, that the ex-premier’s mental stability was questionable. The former premier has sent the legal notice through his lawyer Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi under the Defamation Ordinance, 2002 over “dissemination and circulation of wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious and defamatory information” against Imran Khan during the minister’s May 26 press conference.

Last week, the government had shared the confidential medical reports of Imran Khan’s tests, supposedly conducted while he was in custody earlier this month, claiming that no fracture was found on his legs while traces of alcohol and an illegal drug were found in his urine sample.

The notice served to Abdul Qadir Patel, was sent under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance, 2002 for circulating “wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious and defamatory” information in his May 26 press conference.

“The press conference was watched in Pakistan as well as all over the world through electronic media channels, YouTube and various other social media platforms. Moreover, details regarding the press conference were also published in newspapers nationally as well as internationally,” the notice said.

The notice said that Imran had sustained a head injury on the day of his “illegal arrest” on May 9 but there was no mention of it in the medical report shared by the minister.

It said that the medical report had emphasised “a lot” on Imran’s mental state but no details were provided of an examination being conducted in this regard.

The notice said that Patel made the remarks “knowingly, consciously, willingly, deliberately and maliciously”. It added that the minister’s remarks were also in “violation of the standards and ethics which [a] member of the federal cabinet must possess.”

It said that Patel’s defamatory claims had caused damage to Imran’s good will, “injury to his reputation”, and had adversely affected his “honour”.

“Likewise, you (Patel) have also caused emotional trauma, mental agony and anguish and distress to our client (Imran),” the notice added.

The notice called on Patel to retract his statements “in the same mode and manner in which you made them in the first place” and tender an unconditional apology and admit “you have misstated”.

It also called on the minister to pay Rs10bn, which would be donated to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, for defaming Imran and leveling false allegations against him. It called on Patel to refrain from making further defamatory comments.

The notice said that Imran would be compelled to initiate legal proceedings if the minister failed to take the aforementioned steps within 15 days.

Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, in a press conference Friday in Karachi, cited details of the former prime minister’s medical report and said it indicated excessive alcohol consumption, no information about a fracture on his leg, and unstable mental health.

He said that the report does not have any details about the fracture on his foot, which Khan claimed he sustained following the November 3 assassination bid.

“He [Imran Khan] had a plaster on his foot for about five to six months, however, the medical report did not indicate any fracture,” he added.

The minister said that the PTI chief’s urine sample was also taken. He said that the initial report showed the presence of toxic elements and the excessive usage of alcohol and cocaine.

He said that the report also mentioned Khan’s mental health, according to which, his actions and body language are “not those of a fit man”.

“The report stated that a person with stable mental health does not make these kinds of gestures,” he said.