Imran Khan takes UK paper to court
LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has launched a legal action against The Sunday Times after the paper wrote that Khan was recently introduced to Cameron Munter, American Ambassador to Pakistan, in the presence of General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, and that he has gained the backing of Pakistan military.
The News has learnt that Imran Khans solicitor in London Mahtab Aziz of ST Law Solicitors has written to the Rupert Murdoch title that The Sunday Times Article Imran the Inevitable damaged Khans political standing and reputation among the Pakistani public by implying that he is backed by the Pakistan Army which directly goes against Khans principles and political ideology that he stands for and for which he has made many sacrifices.
The lawsuit stresses that Khan will always be an independent political campaigner free from any influence by the vested interests of Pakistans powerful military and establishment. Imran Khan (The Claimant) of The Justice Party has taken a big issue with the articles main theme accusing the paper of going against the grain of our clients political vision.
There is neither any support for Khans campaign by Pakistans security establishment and nor have you furnished any evidence to support it, says the lawsuit, adding that the PTI believed that change in Pakistan can come by severing the shackles of the establishment.
The lawsuit gives a reference to Cameron Munters denial on the Capital Talk and military spokesman Major General Ather Abbas denial that any such meeting was ever facilitated. The defamation claim says that Khan met Munter on various occasions but the factual inaccuracy in reporting has damaged our clients standing among the Pakistani public as it implies that there is tacit support for Khans campaign not only by the United States but also by Pakistans Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
This is particularly of some concern as it goes completely against Khans long term outspoken campaign for Pakistan to be free from any outside influence especially that of the United States. He has campaigned tirelessly for a halt to US drone attacks which have resulted in many civilian and military lives being lost.
Khans lawyers maintain that the article is of great and immediate concern to Khan and has resulted in untoward criticism being directed at him by his opposition parties to the effect that he has been labelled a puppet/agent of the United States, of secret hand propping up his political ambitions.
This can have catastrophic consequences for Khans political campaign as it substantially plays in to the hands of his critics and thereby affording them a false platform upon which to seriously damage Khans standing amongst the Pakistani public and his political credibility.
The article stated that Khan is reluctant to criticise the military establishment publicly, but he emphasises that he will not be a puppet of the generals. Obviously you have to work with them but it doesnt mean you have to work under them, he reportedly said but Khan maintains in the lawsuit that this is an unsupported comment as he has been a vehement critic of General Musharraf and his policies and has not been reluctant in the past to criticise the military and is not reluctant in the present to do so.
The lawsuit has asked the paper to retract the offending parts of your article by publishing a retraction; issue a suitable apology to Imran Khan on your front page; pay Khans legal costs and respond within 7 days or else Khan will issue court proceedings against the Sunday paper.
Imran Khan takes UK paper to court
