Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has sent an official legal notice to Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera over a video article they published regarding allegations made by MNA Ayesha Gulalai, that Imran Khan had been harassing her through inappropriate text messages.
The video in question was published on Al Jazeera’s online-only website, ‘AJ+’ which has gained international recognition for its short video features which focuses on all kinds of news from around the world.
After receiving inappropriate text messages from a prominent politician, this lawmaker accused him of harassment. pic.twitter.com/ALIzPUJxAG
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 21, 2017
According to the Pre-Action Defamation Protocol letter sent to Al Jazeera on November 23, a copy of which was posted by the PTI’s official Twitter account, “The article published on the internet and hosted by your AJ+ website contains serious, untrue, and highly defamatory comments towards our client, some of which contain malicious falsehoods.”
The letter, sent through the Wentworth Solicitors, is not a lawsuit against the publisher of the video article but is a clear bearing of fangs and a legal threat of further action. It has been pursued under the Civil Procedure Rules Pre-Action Protocol for Claims in Defamation and is “intended to encourage exchange of information between ourselves at an early stage and to provide a clear framework in which we, acting in good faith on our client’s behalf in this defamation case, can explore the early and appropriate resolution of this claim.”
Defamation Protocol letter sent to @ajplus for doing a concocted story. pic.twitter.com/7w6enCJadN
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 23, 2017
Strictly speaking, in legal terms, the notice sent at this stage holds no legal significance and is a procedural formality in which the claimant hopes to settle the matter out of court through alternative dispute resolution methods. However, given the nature of both parties, they will most likely wish to see the matter solved publicly, as is being indicated by the complete official lack of response coming from Al Jazeera and AJ+.
While the claim is still in its incubation stage at this point, some indicators show that the PTI chairman’s arguments may not be very strong. For one, it seems that the ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ has given Imran an appetite for a positive global impression and an aversion to anything negative. This seems to be why he is missing the fact that the story by Al Jazeera was a narration of events as their general format is, and what was reported was not much different from what had been reported nationally. Secondly, the letter specifically says about the comments in the story that “some of which contain malicious falsehoods.”
The only such falsehood that the letter points out is, as quoted in the letter, that “Your article expressly mentions our client as Opposition politician Imran Khan. Our client is Chairman and leader of PTI political party of Pakistan which is based in Islamabad.”
Aljazeera is no more what it was once. It is for this reason it is stepping out of line.
In my opinion, Imran is not so important to Aljazeera and they don’t need to step out.
Imran khan is a great leader .may ALLAH bless him and all these are rumours about him.
In fact he ia the Great Liar. May the Allmighty, rest his soul in Hell.
they should head to qatar and hijack doha with their dharna as they did in islamabad. they feel they have all the right literally to bad mouth and judge anyone the deem imperfect but they raise hell of a storm if criticised themselves. this mindset offcourse will try to make naya pakistan(new pakistan)..
We all know that PTI leader is ” dou number pathan”
Who is guided by “three das number punjabis” treens, mkhdooms and shaikh. Imran holds a procession every day like a juggler out side the railway station and makes fun of his own audience, but is always peeping to see the “Empires`s Finger”.I am proud to be “aik number pakistani who believes in QuaideAzam Pakistan”. Do remember, that Quaid`s Pakistan will never be rotten !
I think Qatri princess couldn’t defend Nawaz Sahrif in s.courts but can defame Imran khan in Doha’s news channel Al Jazeera… It is a plot of those who stand behind Ayesha Gulalai… A heinous character..
Dear Wasee
Please correct yourself, its not princess but a Royal Prince. Ayesha Gulalai is now a reality, why every reality is henious to pti supporters ? What do you think, if most people believe that Imran is a hidious person in National politics ?
How strange? One who claims to be leader of PTI cannot face the truth because he can only accuse others, do mud slinging, use abusive language & try to create uncertainty in the country. One cannot expect anything good from a cocaine addict, supporter of Jewish lobby & a person with no moral character.
one cannot expect anything good for a person like u who probably supports corruption and accuses others when everyones knows that the harrassment scandal was all fake. Nawaz supporters – people with no moral character
Well said Ali. I honestly believe and second your comments
Dear Fareesa
Imran is the I-com of evil in our politics. He is the God Father of hatred, intolerance and bohemianism.
He must be remembered in the Dark Pages of history. We must abandon the Jewish agent.
This is a highly shameful act by al jazeera
Known to be repesenting muslim world is now showing its real face , the face which actually relates to the ones working for new world order which is against any good /positive change in countries like pakistan.I m surprized by the dissection of worlds philosophies just getting exposed by a single ‘slogan of change’ in pakistan,
Well done Imran Khan Stay righteous Allah bless you and us all
Imran khan is a “Mudcrete” machine and the best he can do is nothing but to only accuse others. He bears the shameless ability to slam his own policy stance within a moment to get the short lived political benefits and can say any thing to win the cheers of his audience. In my eyes, without any prejudice, he is the icon of U-Turns and hatred based politics in Pakistan and doesn’t bear any gravity in his moral character. Having said, I believe in all from Sita Roy to Ayesha Gulalai being sexually harassed and exploited by Imran. But unfortunately there is no reason to believe that this would be the end of the story.
AJ+ merely reported a factual news story. Whether or not Imran actually sent lewd messages to Ayesha or not has not been established by AJ+, the fact is that she accused him of doing that. AJ+ along with many other media sources reported just that. This topic itself, i.e. harassment of females across the globe is on the hot seat right now so it was befitting for AJ+ to report on it. PTI’s legal notice has no significance, and I am not surprised AJ+ has not even found it worth responding to.
Imran khan is having support of that finger which he rose during dharna. He sends dirty messages to his own party members & have illegitimate child Tyrian. He is iltempered person with no sense of talk. We will never make him the Prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. InshaAllah
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