Imran Khan sends Rs10bn defamation notice to health minister

LAHORE – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has sent a defamation notice to Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel for circulating “wrongful, baseless, false, misleading, erroneous, malicious and defamatory” information in his May 26 press conference.

Last week, the government had shared confidential medical reports of Imran’s tests, supposedly conducted during his custody earlier this month, claiming that no fracture was found on his legs, while traces of alcohol and an illegal drug were found in his urine sample, and that his mental stability was questionable.

In the notice, Imran called on Patel to retract his statements “in the same mode and manner in which you made them in the first place” and tender an unconditional apology and admit “you have misstated”.

It also called on the minister to pay Rs10bn, which would be donated to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, for defaming Imran and levelling false allegations against him. It also called on Patel to refrain from making further defamatory comments.

The notice said that Imran would be compelled to initiate legal proceedings if the minister failed to do so within 15 days.  

On May 26, Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, in a press conference, said traces of alcohol and cocaine consumption have been found in body of the PTI chief. 

The minister said the report did not have any details about the fracture on his leg, which Khan claimed he sustained during an assassination attempt on his life in November 2022. He said Imran Khan had a plaster on his leg for about five to six months, however, there was no fracture as per the medical report.

He said that the PTI chief's urine sample was also taken, adding that the initial report indicated the excessive usage of alcohol and cocaine.

Patel said the report had also raised questions about the mental health of the PTI chairman.

A copy of the report circulating on social media states, “The gentleman was examined and appears under stress with anxiety symptoms. There was extensive anger/anxiety about the events happening in the last few weeks. He had little insight about the seriousness and reality of the current situation. The mental stability is questionable. There were some inappropriate gestures”.