ISLAMABAD – Fiery accusations between PTI and PML-N leaders reached courtroom as former minister and close aide of Imran Khan, Murad Saeed leveled corruption allegations against Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal over the Multan-Sukkur Motorway project.
A legal setback hit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Murad Saeed years after legal tussle as District and Sessions Court in Islamabad ruled in favor of Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal in a defamation case, ordering Saeed to pay Rs2.5 million in damages.
District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan announced the verdict, accepting Ahsan Iqbal’s defamation petition against the PTI leader over allegations made in 2019 regarding the Multan-Sukkur Motorway project. The allegations of Rs70 billion corruption, misuse of authority, and illegal commissions leveled against Ahsan Iqbal were not proven and were declared defamatory, the court said.
In his defense, Murad Saeed claimed that his statements were made in good faith and in the public interest while raising concerns about transparency in the motorway project. He argued that the allegations were based on official records, inquiries, and concerns regarding procurement procedures. However, the court noted that despite making these claims, Murad Saeed failed to produce evidence, inquiry reports, or documentary proof in support of his allegations.
The court observed that the statements made during the press conference and later published in electronic and print media directly accused Ahsan Iqbal of corruption, misuse of authority, and receiving illegal financial benefits. The judgment stated that such allegations were defamatory in nature as they affected the plaintiff’s honesty, integrity, and reputation.
The court rejected Murad Saeed’s defenses of truth, fair comment, good faith, and public interest, ruling that the allegations were not proven. However, the court did not accept Ahsan Iqbal’s claim for Rs10 billion, calling it excessive and unsupported by evidence of specific financial loss.
The court observed that the statements made by Murad Saeed damaged Ahsan Iqbal’s reputation and created a negative perception among the public. The verdict stated that the accusations amounted to a direct attack on the federal minister’s character, honor, and public standing.
Ahsan Iqbal had originally sought Rs10 billion in damages; however, the court ruled that the amount demanded was excessive in light of the evidence presented and awarded damages of Rs2.5 million instead. The court further noted that Murad Saeed neither appeared before the court nor provided evidence to substantiate the corruption allegations.
