PM Shehbaz appears in defamation case hearing

LAHORE: The hearing of the defamation case filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against PTI’s founder was adjourned till June 23 by Additional Sessions Judge Yilmaz Ghani in Lahore on Saturday.

The PM appeared via video link for cross-examination and was pressed by PTI’s counsel, Mian Muhammad Hussain, to repeatedly affirm he would not conceal facts, to which the premier responded, “If I don’t know something, how can I say I won’t hide it?”

The court intervened, asking PM Shehbaz to simply pledge not to lie under oath, which he affirmed. The PTI lawyer then questioned discrepancies in witness identification records, with PM Shehbaz insisting the details were accurate.

Shehbaz, Rubio discuss regional peace, counterterrorism and trade

At one point, the premier expressed frustration over time being wasted on repetitive questioning. “Your time is valuable, but even my humble time is precious,” he told the judge.

The hearing saw heated exchanges over procedural formalities, with PTI’s lawyer demanding clarity on which page contained the witness verification stamp. PM Shehbaz deferred to his legal team, stating, “This is a technical point, my lawyers understand it better.”