An additional sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday ruled in favour of Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal in a defamation case against former federal minister Murad Saeed, ordering him to pay Rs2.5 million in damages.
Additional Sessions Judge Hakim Khan held that Saeed had failed to provide evidence supporting his allegations that Iqbal was involved in Rs70 billion worth of corruption.
In its judgment, the court found that the accusations of corruption, abuse of authority and receiving illegal commissions were defamatory and had harmed Iqbal’s reputation.
The ruling stated that the allegations damaged the minister’s honour, dignity and public standing, amounting to a direct attack on his integrity and character.
The court also noted that Murad Saeed neither appeared before the court nor presented any evidence to substantiate his claims.
Although Iqbal had sought Rs10 billion in damages, the court ruled that the amount was excessive in light of the available evidence and awarded Rs2.5 million in compensation instead.