KB-2022-003483 - [2025] EWHC 1912 (KB)

As I mentioned in the Introduction, the First Claimant is the Regional President of the PPP in AJK and he holds a parliamentary seat in the AJKLA. He has been a member of this parliament since 1990, winning election that year and subsequently in 1996, 2011, 2016 and 2021. He referred to twice achieving a record number of votes in his favour. The 2021 election was in July 2021, prior to the Defendant’s publication of the videos. The next election is in 2026. The First Claimant has held various significant ministerial posts over the course of his political career and from 2016 – 2021 he was the Leader of the Opposition Party in the AJKLA.

The First Claimant came to the United Kingdom in 1966 as a child. He lived with his family in Stoke on Trent, where he continues to reside. He has business interests in both Pakistan and the United Kingdom. He regularly travels between the United Kingdom and Pakistan and has family homes in both locations.

There is a significant community of people from AJK who live in the United Kingdom. Many of them are registered voters in Pakistan, where they remain eligible to vote provided they attend the relevant polling station in person. The First Claimant said that there are approximately 100,000 registered voters in his constituency and that 50-60% of these voters live in the United Kingdom. Whilst the Defendant did not accept this specific figure, he does agree that a significant portion of the First Claimant’s voters are based in the United Kingdom.

The First Claimant comes to the United Kingdom three – four times a year and when he does so, he has frequent interactions with his supporters. He is involved in social activism both here and in Pakistan.

The First Claimant has known the Defendant for a number of years, as they are both from AJK. Between 2012 and the November 2021 publications, the Defendant interviewed the First Claimant on three occasions and until the matters complained of in these proceedings, they had enjoyed a good relationship.

Mr Sabeel worked for the First Claimant as his private secretary for around six years.

The Second Claimant was born in the United Kingdom, where he grew up. He is currently 38 years old. After University, he helped to run the family businesses in the United Kingdom. In 2019, he went to Pakistan to try and pursue a political career. In the 2021 elections his father won two seats, but was only permitted to keep one of them. He relinquished the seat in Charoi and the Second Claimant successfully stood as the PPP’s candidate in the by-election that followed. He was in prison on remand at this time as a result of a prosecution arising from the polling station incident. He is currently the Minister of State for Disaster Management, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and the Koti Development Authority. He is also involved in social activism.

The Second Claimant has homes in the United Kingdom and in Pakistan. He travels between the two countries. He has friends and family in the United Kingdom and, like his father, a significant proportion of his electors reside here.

The Second Claimant said he was released from prison on 11 November 2021 and that the first time he came to the United Kingdom after the publication of the videos was about a year later. He said he had been to the United Kingdom three times since his release from prison. The first occasion was for a family wedding; the second time was in anticipation of the trial in this case taking place in April 2025; and the third time was for this hearing.

It was common ground that both Claimants are very well known in in political and activist circles amongst the AJK Pakistani community in the United Kingdom and in Pakistan.