Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has won an Rs84 million defamation case against Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi, with a Lahore tribunal ruling in her favour on Tuesday.
Bokhari had filed the damages suit before the Lahore Defamation Tribunal under the Defamation Act, challenging allegations made by Qureshi during a television programme concerning the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s visit to the Punjab Assembly.
Following the verdict, Bokhari’s lawyer, Ali Bukhari, told reporters that the opposition leader had failed to provide evidence supporting his accusations.
“Alhamdulillah, the court has delivered its verdict in our favour today,” Bukhari said.
According to the minister’s legal team, Qureshi had alleged that Bokhari arranged for more than 100 paid individuals to attend the Punjab Assembly during the K-P chief minister’s visit.
He had also accused journalists who questioned the visiting chief minister of being paid employees of the information minister.
Bukhari said Qureshi acknowledged during the proceedings that he had no evidence to substantiate the allegations.
The opposition leader reportedly maintained that his remarks were based on personal observation, but the tribunal found that he had failed to establish their factual basis.
Under the ruling, Qureshi is liable to pay Rs84 million in damages to Bokhari.
The decision concludes the tribunal proceedings in favour of the Punjab information minister, although the report did not indicate whether the opposition leader intends to challenge the verdict on appeal.