Arrest warrant issued for PM's aide Shahbaz Gill in defamation suit

LAHORE – A sessions court in Punjab capital issued arrest warrants for Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill in a defamation suit.

Reports in local media said Additional Sessions Judge Hasnain Azhar Shah issued the arrest warrants of Gill after the latter failed to appear. 

The court remarked that PM’s aide was allowed to appear through a representative, adding the court had been waiting for the representative all day but he didn’t appear. The court then directed Gill to turn up on coming Monday. 

Later, the Special Assistant to the PM filed a plea in a Lahore sessions court, seeking withdrawal of the bailable arrest warrant issued by the court a day ago in a defamation suit.

It all started when the PTI member accused a Turkish firm of signing the metro bus project with the former PML-N government on an inflated amount.

The company then filed a defamation suit against Gill, seeking action against him under sections 499 and 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code for levelling false allegations against the firm. The petition added that Gill’s claims lacked evidence and sabotaged the company’s reputation leading to a loss of millions of dollars.