Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari won a defamation case against Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi on Tuesday, with the court ruling in her favour in an Rs84 million damages suit over allegations he made against her during a television programme.
Azma had filed the suit before the Lahore Defamation Tribunal under the Defamation Act, seeking Rs84 million in damages over Qureshi’s allegations concerning the visit of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister to the Punjab Assembly.
Speaking to the media after the decision, Azma's counsel, Ali Bukhari, said the opposition leader had levelled false allegations against the minister but failed to substantiate them during the trial.
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“Alhamdulillah, the court has delivered its verdict in our favour today,” the counsel said, adding that Qureshi had admitted during the trial that he did not have evidence to support his allegations.
Azma said Qureshi had alleged that the information minister brought more than 100 paid persons into the Punjab Assembly during the K-P chief minister’s visit. He added that the opposition leader had also accused journalists who questioned the K-P chief minister during the visit of being paid employees of the minister.
According to the counsel, Qureshi had maintained during the proceedings that he made the statement as his personal observation. However, he failed to prove the allegations, Bukhari said.
Under the ruling, Qureshi is liable to pay Rs84 million in damages to Azma.
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