File photo. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday sent a Rs. 10 billion legal notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for levelling “baseless allegations” against its co-chairperson, and former president, Asif Ali Zardari.
“The statements made by you [Khan] have caused great harm and hurt to the sentiments of the members of Pakistan Peoples Party, which are not only in Pakistan but all over the world thereby damaging and defaming their reputation,” read the notice sent to the PTI chief.
Last week, during a televised address, Khan alleged—without offering any evidence—that Zardari had “hired” a militant outfit to assassinate him. He claimed that “agencies” personnel—a reference to the security establishment—were colluding with Zardari, adding that he wanted to make public the PPP leader’s name so he would “not be able to enjoy his life” if anything were to happen.
According to the notice sent by the PPP, Khan has attempted to create a link between Zardari and terrorist organizations through his allegations, while “blindly disregarding the fact that our client and his party has remained the victim of terrorism.” It said that the PTI chief’s “defamatory actions” had caused “severe agony, mental stress and loss of reputation” to the PPP co-chairperson.
“You are, therefore, hereby called upon to render unconditional apology from our client, on television, print and social media, within 14 days from the receipt of this notice, failing whereof, our client shall be constrained to institute appropriate legal proceedings against you, civil as well as criminal, before the competent courts of law and forums of Pakistan as well as of England, including but not limited to Suit for Damages for Rs. 10,000,000,000/ (Rupees 10 billion only) at your risk as to cost and consequences,” it added.
On Saturday, the PPP had announced an intent to issue a legal challenge to Khan’s claims, maintaining that he had “lost his senses.” In a subsequent post on Twitter, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari—who is also foreign minister—had described Khan’s remarks as “defamatory and dangerous,” stressing that that the PTI chief had earlier threatened his father.
On Sunday, in a statement issued by the PPP’s Media Cell, the party accused Khan of “seeking support from militants and providing them with medical facilities at his Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital,” adding his statements had put the lives of all PPP leaders in danger.