The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on Rs 2 billion defamation suit filed by former President Asif Ali Zardari against Sadaruddin Hashwani, a business tycoon.
A single bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar reserved the verdict to be pronounced later on. Zardari had sued one of the biggest tycoons in the country for Rs 2 billion for tarnishing his and Pakistan People’s Party’s image.
The plaintiff’s counsel Farooq H Naik and Shazia Hanjrah had submitted Hashwani’s penned a book titled Truth Always Prevails, aiming at disparaging and defaming the plaintiff’s reputation nationally and internationally.
The book was published in a hostile country i.e. India, wilfully mentioned false, misleading, derogatory and defamatory contents with a view to defame the plaintiff, said Naik.
He said a legal notice was served to the author along with the publishers but they did not give any response. The counsel requested the Court to issue a stay order against the publishing of the book and direct the author to pay Rs 2 billion.