A district and sessions court in Islamabad awarded Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal Rs. 2.5 million in a defamation suit against former federal minister Murad Saeed. The court announced its verdict on Saturday.
Additional Sessions Judge Hakeem Khan ruled that Murad Saeed failed to prove allegations of Rs. 70 billion corruption. Consequently, the court held that the accusations amounted to defamation.
According to the judgment, the allegations damaged Ahsan Iqbal’s reputation, honor, and dignity. The court also said the statements created a negative public impression.
Court Rejects Corruption Allegations
The judgment stated that accusations of corruption, misuse of authority, and illegal commissions directly targeted Ahsan Iqbal’s integrity. Furthermore, the court noted that Murad Saeed neither appeared before the court nor submitted supporting evidence.
As a result, the court concluded that the allegations remained unsubstantiated. Therefore, it ruled in favor of the federal minister.
Court Reduces Compensation Claim
Ahsan Iqbal had originally sought Rs. 10 billion in damages through the defamation suit. However, the court described the claimed amount as excessive based on the available evidence.
Instead, the court awarded Rs. 2.5 million in compensation. The case stemmed from a 2019 press conference in which Murad Saeed accused Ahsan Iqbal of corruption in the Multan-Sukkur Motorway project.
