Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: Pakistan’s Supreme Court has suspended trial court proceedings in a long-running defamation case filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), following a petition by the PTI founder.
A three-member bench led by Justice Ayesha Malik issued a stay order and sought a response from Shehbaz Sharif. The court said the case would be scheduled for an early hearing.
The defamation lawsuit was filed in 2017 after the PTI founder alleged that Shehbaz Sharif had offered him Rs10 billion to remain silent on the Panama Papers case. Sharif denied the allegations and initiated legal action for defamation.
The trial court in Lahore had previously terminated the PTI founder’s right to defence due to repeated delays in submitting a response, and the Lahore High Court upheld that decision, citing unnecessary delays in the judicial process.
In May 2025, Shehbaz Sharif recorded his statement via video link before the trial court, while cross-examination of witnesses Ata Tarar and Malik Ahmed Khan by the defence had already been completed.
Earlier, a Supreme Court bench had dismissed a petition challenging the termination of the right to defence, with Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Amin-ud-Din Khan upholding the trial court’s decision. Justice Ayesha Malik had issued a dissenting note, stating that no party should be deprived of the right to defence and that the PTI founder should have been given an opportunity to present his case.
