Pakistani Court Summons Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in $36 Million Defamation Case Against Imran Khan

Lahore, Pakistan – A Pakistani court has summoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 12 to testify via video link in a long-running 10 billion rupee ($36 million) defamation case he filed against rival and PTI founder Imran Khan.

The case, heard by Additional Sessions Judge Yilmaz Ghaee in Lahore, saw no progress on Saturday after Khan’s lawyer failed to appear. The judge directed both parties’ legal teams to ensure their presence at the next hearing, set for 10 a.m. local time.

The lawsuit dates back to 2017, when Imran Khan, then opposition leader, alleged that Shehbaz Sharif had offered him a 10 billion rupee bribe to stay silent over the Panama Papers scandal, which implicated the Sharif family.

Sharif, who was serving as Chief Minister of Punjab at the time, denied the accusation and filed a defamation suit in July 2017, seeking damages. In 2020, he moved the court for an expedited trial, complaining that the case had been delayed for years

The case adds to Pakistan’s already fraught political climate, with Khan facing multiple legal battles following his removal from office in 2022, and Sharif’s government under pressure to stabilize the country’s struggling economy.

Analysts say the proceedings could further intensify political rivalries in the lead-up to future elections, with both leaders using the courtroom battles to reinforce their narratives.