Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has notified the head of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that he intends to take legal action against him for 15 billion rupees ($5.8 million) for defamation and reputational damage in connection with his illegal arrest on corruption and money laundering charges.
"I served him (NAB head - TASS) an official notice. A warrant for my arrest was issued in violation of the constitution and law. The illegal and unjustified arrest, carried out using brute force in the building of the Supreme Court, was intended to defame me, it had a negative impact on my reputation. Thus, I have every right to initiate a defamation case," Imran Khan wrote on Twitter on Friday.
In May, the politician announced his intention to file a Rs. 10 billion lawsuit against Pakistani Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel for defaming his health. Khan demanded an apology from him and a public retraction of his claim that when he was arrested on May 9, Khan was allegedly "intoxicated and the lab tests indicated that he was constantly using drugs."
Imran Khan was taken into custody on May 9 on an arrest warrant issued by the NAB. The politician was charged for corruption and using the Al Qadir Trust, owned by him and his wife, to launder money. The former prime minister was accused of receiving "billions of rupees" from an unnamed real estate firm for legalizing 60 billion rupees (about $210.6 million) that had been transferred from Britain while the Khan-led government was running the country.
His arrest sparked widespread opposition protests in major cities, with PTI supporters clashing with police, setting vehicles on fire and attacking military facilities. More than 4,000 demonstrators were detained. Ten people were killed and more than 300 injured. Khan was released on bail on May 12. The warrant for his arrest was suspended until June 19.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS