Farah Khan sends another legal notice to PML-N's Attaullah Tarar against alleged defamation
Farah Khan, a close friend of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, has sent a legal notice as a "final reminder" to PML-N's Attaullah Tarar, asking him to refrain from defaming her.
In the legal notice dated August 10, Farah's lawyer Azhar Siddique said Tarar had refuted all contentions raised without "corroborating any of the defenses taken by him with concrete evidence".
"In fact, your counsel has admitted to the defamation of our client by stating 'Farah Khan aka Gogi Farhat Shahzadi'. The use of the derogatory name which is being challenged through our legal notices in a reply to the same clearly cements the fact that you have defamed our client," the notice said, attaching a copy of the reply Tarar submitted to an earlier notice.
The notice demanded that Tarar cease and desist from all ongoing and existing defamation of Farah, her name and her reputation. It also demanded that the PML-N leader tender an unconditional apology within seven days of receiving the notice which stated that he would desist from further defamation of Farah.
It also asked Tarar to "publish a contradiction and tender an unconditional apology together with a prompt and perpetual cease and desist written assurance" in every prominent newspaper, electronically as well as via social media within seven days of receiving the notice.
In addition, it also asked Tarar to pay Farah a sum of Rs5 billion for using the "derogatory and defamatory term" in the past and an additional Rs5bn for using the same term once again in London in May 2022.
It stated that since the PML-N leader had not adhered to the requests made in the earlier notices, "we are hereby intimating you that we are initiating defamation proceedings against you before the court of competent jurisdiction".
Farah reportedly left the country following the PTI chief's ouster from power. She has since been named in several cases that have been opened against her by investigators. In July, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment booked Farah and her mother and arrested two others in a case concerning the allegedly illegal allotment of two industrial plots, measuring 10 acres, to a company owned by her.
The plots were allotted on a subsidised rate offered by the government that was Rs83m but their market value was about Rs600m.
Earlier in April, NAB authorised an inquiry against her on allegations of accumulating "illegal assets beyond known sources of income, money laundering, and maintaining various accounts in the name of businesses".
At the same time, the PTI chief defended Farah as "absolutely innocent", describing the corruption probe against her as a "political vendetta" against him.
Last July, Bushra Bibi a purported leaked audio clip allegedly told the PTI social media head to link criticism against her and Farah with treason.