LAHORE: A Lahore district court on Thursday issued a bailable arrest warrant for Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill for not appearing before the court in a defamation suit.
The hearing took place at a local court in Lahore where the judge was hearing a lawsuit filed by a private company against Gill. The company has accused Gill of “falsely accusing” the firm during an interview to a private news channel.
The petitioner company, Turizm Tasimacilik, has sought action against Gill under sections 499 and 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code for hurting its reputation through false allegations. It contended that the accusations hurled by the PM’s aide caused a huge financial loss to the company.
Lahore Additional Sessions Judge Hasnain Azhar Shah heard the petition and issued a warrant against Gill for not appearing before the judge. The judge has ordered the PM’s aide to appear in person before the court on November 1.
In the latest development, Gill filed the petition through his counsels Ahmed Saad Khan and Zain Nazir Khan, urging the court to withdraw the arrest warrants. He also informed that he had earlier been given an exemption by the court on May 27, 2021 from personal appearance in the case.
