QB-2022-002648 - [2025] EWHC 2565 (KB)

At the time of the publications complained of, the Defendant used the following media, through which all of the publications complained of were made, in each instance in Urdu:

Although the Claimant complained of ten publications, the fifth publication complained of was held not to be defamatory of him. Accordingly, only nine publications remain in issue.

The context in which the words complained of were published is, in brief, and without seeking to determine the rights and wrongs of the events in question, as follows. Imran Khan was the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (“PTI”) and became Prime Minister following elections in 2018. In those elections, the PTI won the most votes, but those votes were insufficient for a majority, and so Imran Khan formed a coalition government with other parties. The major opposition parties were the Pakistan Muslim League N (“PMLN”) and the Pakistan People’s Party (“PPP”). In 2020, those parties and others combined to form the Pakistan Democratic Movement (“PDM”). In April 2022, Imran Khan’s government was ousted after a parliamentary vote of no confidence, and he was removed from office. All these events attracted controversy: in particular, the 2018 elections were said by some to have been rigged, and the regime change triggered by the vote of no confidence resulted in mass public protests. In July 2022, by-elections were held in (among other places) Punjab, which the PTI won by a substantial majority. In the meantime, a coalition government was formed by parties opposed to the PTI, and Shehbaz Sharif of the PMLN became Prime Minister and Asif Ali Zardari became President of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (“PPPP”). Later still, well after the dates of publication, Imran Khan was the subject of two failed assassination attempts.