ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday empowered PML-N leader Khwaja Asif's lawyer to cross-examine Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in a defamation case.
Imran Khan filed a Rs 10 billion defamation suit against Khwaja Asif in 2012 over allegations of misappropriation of funds of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT). Asif had moved the IHC challenging the decision of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Adnan to quash the respondent's right to cross-examine Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement.
During today's hearing, an IHC bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah empowered Khwaja Asif to cross-examine the Prime Minister with his legal team.
Justice Minallah ordered the trial court to hear the matter on a daily basis and fix a time limit of two months for the verdict.
During the last hearing on January 4, the IHC had sought response from Prime Minister Imran Khan in the defamation case against the senior PML-N leader.
Asif's counsel had informed the court that the trial court had rejected his right to cross-examine.
The judgment in the defamation case should have been declared within two months of its filing, the court had remarked while expressing displeasure over the delay.