Islamabad: Pakistan Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday filed a defamation suit in the court of district judge in Lahore against Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan over his claim that the ruling government had offered him Rs 10 million bribe to remain silent on the issue of Panama Papers case.

Mr Sharif has claimed he has filed defamation suit of Rs10 billion against Mr Khan under sections 4 and 9 of the Defamation Ordinance 2002 for “allegedly lying and defaming” his reputation. The petition submitted through advocate Mustafa Ramday states that “the plaintiff belongs to a noble family and is a highly respectable individual.” “The facts and circumstances giving rise to the filing of the instant suit are that since the last week of April 2017, the defendant (Imran Khan) started uttering, spreading and resorting to the publication, communication and circulation of maliciously false, baseless and unfounded oral statements and representations against the plaintiff, Shahbaz Sharif.”

(Shahbaz Sharif) to the effect that the Plaintiff had, through some person/relative, apparently known to the Defendant as well, offered to pay a sum of Rs 10 billion to the Defendant in exchange for his withdrawing/backing-off from, or remain silent on the issue of the Panama Papers’ case,” the petition said.

“It is therefore most respectfully prayed that a decree for recovery of Rs 10,000,000,000 (Rupees Ten Billion) as compensation for the publication of the aforesaid defamatory content be passed against the defendant (Imran Khan) and in favour of the plaintiff,” the petition added.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Azfar Sultan issued a notice to Imran Khan to appear on July 21.