Former Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has served a defamation notice to sitting SAPM Awn Chaudhry for derogatory remarks and character assassination. The legal notice is worth Rs 500 million.
Buzdar’s counsel stated that Mubeenuddin Qazi stated that Awn Chaudhry is doing the character assassination of his client in public through defamatory statements. The notice adds that these statements are widely run on social and electronic media.
Counsel Qazi demands Awn Chaudhry to offer an unconditional apology on all electronic and print media along with an undertaking that such acts would not be repeated. Counsel has given a time limit of 15 days.
“You are abusing your current official position as Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to assassinate my client’s character and victimize him,” the notice stated.
Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar has sent a legal notice to Awn Chaudhry for his derogatory remarks and malafidely levelling serious allegations of corruption that too without substantiating such false and baseless allegations with any corroborative evidence.
@UsmanAKBuzdar #PTI pic.twitter.com/4QcTsg9mWK— Rohail Qazi (@RohailQazi4) May 22, 2022
The notice claims that Awn Chaudhry leveled serious level allegations of corruption against Usman Buzdar without presenting any concrete evidence. Such false allegations have appeared on several leading television channels and were published in almost the English and Urdu daily newspapers.
Read more: Awn Chaudhry becomes adviser to PM Shehbaz Sharif
Failing to comply with the notice within 15 days will lead to the appropriate legal proceedings for committing the offense of criminal defamation besides other available legal remedies including proceedings under the Protection of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.
Earlier this month, PTI dissident Awn Chaudhry has been appointed as Adviser to PM Shehbaz Sharif on tourism and sports.
According to the reports, his status will be equal to the status of a federal minister. President Arif Alvi approved his appointment on the advice of PM Shehbaz Sharif. It is pertinent to mention that Awn Chaudhry is a member of the Jehangir Tareen group who had parted ways from PTI but is still a member of the party.
Jehangir Tareen had supported the PDM against the No-Confidence Motion presented against PM Imran Khan in National Assembly and former Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar. Tareen group had supported Hamza Shehbaz for the next chief minister of Punjab.