This action comes after Patel conducted a press conference where he made various claims, including questioning the former prime minister's mental stability.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 30th, 2023) Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has served a defamation notice worth Rs10 billion to Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel.
This action comes after Patel conducted a press conference where he made various claims, including questioning the former prime minister's mental stability.
The defamation notice was sent to Patel under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance, 2002. The notice accused Patel of circulating "wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious, and defamatory" information during his press conference on May 26.
According to the notice, the press conference received widespread coverage through electronic media channels, YouTube, and various social media platforms both within Pakistan and internationally. Additionally, newspapers published details about the press conference on a national and international scale.
The notice highlighted that the medical report failed to mention a head injury sustained by Imran on the day of his "illegal arrest" on May 9. Furthermore, it pointed out that while the report extensively discussed Imran's mental state, it provided no details regarding any examination conducted in this regard.
The notice accused Patel of making his remarks "knowingly, consciously, willingly, deliberately, and maliciously." It also stated that his comments were in violation of the standards and ethics expected of a Federal cabinet member.
Imran's goodwill was damaged, his reputation was tarnished, and his honor was adversely affected by Patel's defamatory claims, according to the notice. It further claimed that Patel's statements had caused emotional trauma, mental agony, anguish, and distress to Imran.
The notice demanded that Patel retract his statements in the same manner in which they were initially made and issue an unconditional apology while admitting to having made false statements. Additionally, it called for Patel to pay Rs10 billion as compensation, which would be donated to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. Finally, Patel was warned to refrain from making any further defamatory comments.
If the minister fails to comply with these demands within 15 days, the notice states that Imran Khan will be forced to initiate legal proceedings.
Last week, the government had released confidential medical reports of Imran Khan's tests, which were allegedly conducted during his recent custody. The reports stated that there were no fractures found on his legs, but traces of alcohol and an illegal drug were detected in his urine sample.
Abdul Qadir Patel revealed these details during a press conference held in Karachi, asserting that the PTI leader's medical report was a "public document" and he had the right to disclose it without seeking permission from anyone.
However, several politicians and analysts pointed out inconsistencies within the report. While it raised doubts about Imran's mental stability, it also mentioned that his higher mental function was intact, his clinical status was stable, and he was deemed fit for detention by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
