Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, said on Friday that he has decided to file a 15 billion Pakistani rupees ($52.93 million) defamation suit against country’s anti-corruption body National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman.
“I have decided to file a ₹15 Billion Defamation Suit, against Chairman, NAB. I have served Legal Notice upon him…Ulterior motive was to defame me by arresting me from premises of Islamabad High Court. And show the world that I was arrested on corruption charges,” he said in a tweet.
He alleged that the motive behind these actions was to defame him by arresting him from Islamabad High Court premises and show the world that he was arrested on corruption charges.
He also mentioned that he collects PKR 10 billion in charity annually and that his credibility has never been questioned.
On 9 May 2023, former Imran Khan was arrested from inside the High Court in Islamabad by NAB on the charges of corruption in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi. Following Khan’s arrest, his party called for demonstrations.
The arrest came a day after the military through its media wing ISPR had responded negatively to Khan’s accusations of a high-ranking ISI official being implicated in an assassination attempt on his life the previous year. ISPR declared Khan’s arrest to be legal; however, the following day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan deemed the arrest unlawful and mandated Khan’s immediate release.
The next day on 12 May, Islamabad High Court granted two weeks bail to Khan. Shortly upon his release, Khan directly accused the army chief Asim Munir of playing a role in his arrest.
