The legal saga between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PTI founder Imran Khan is one of the longest-running high-profile civil suits in Pakistan’s history, centered on allegations of a multi-billion rupee bribe involving the Panama Papers case.
2017: The Allegation and the Lawsuit
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April 2017: During a televised talk show and a subsequent public rally, Imran Khan alleges that a “common friend” of the Sharif family offered him Rs10 billion to drop the Panama Papers case against then-PM Nawaz Sharif.
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July 7, 2017: Shehbaz Sharif files a defamation suit under the Defamation Ordinance, 2002, seeking Rs10 billion in damages, calling the claim “baseless, scandalous, and malicious.”
IK accused me of offering him a bribe Rs.10 billion to b silent in Panama case/Javed Sadiq as frontman. Then it was said I siphoned off money from Multan Metro, a baseless charge rejected by Chinese govt. Even to this day, he has not presented a single piece of evidence in court!
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 13, 2020
2018–2021: Procedural Deadlock
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Persistent Delays: The case lingers in the Lahore trial courts. Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel frequently accuses Imran Khan’s legal team of employing “delaying tactics” by filing various interlocutory applications.
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Challenge to Maintainability: Imran Khan challenges the jurisdiction and maintainability of the suit, arguing that it should be heard by a District Judge rather than an Additional District Judge.
In a defamation case that I filed against Imran Khan for his blatant lies of offering him Rs. 10 billion, he has sought 33 deferments so far. I have petitioned the court to hear the case on daily basis. IK failed to submit his written reply to the court despite passage of 3 years
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 12, 2020
2022: Closing the Right of Defence
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November 2022: After repeated failures to submit a written response to the defamation claim, an Additional District Judge in Lahore closes Imran Khan’s right of defence. This means the court would decide the case based primarily on the evidence provided by the plaintiff (Shehbaz Sharif).
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LHC Appeal: Imran Khan moves the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the trial court’s decision to close his defence.
Defamation Case: Supreme Court Orders Formation of Three-Member Bench on Imran Khan’s Petition Against Shehbaz Sharifhttps://t.co/oVMPtdUfh3#ShehbazSharif #ImranKhan #TVOneUSA pic.twitter.com/N1z735Oyfd
— TV ONE USA (@TV1USA) February 9, 2026
2023: Supreme Court Intervention
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February 21, 2023: In a landmark 2-to-1 majority verdict, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah upholds the trial court’s decision. The SC observes that Khan’s conduct was “wilfully contumacious” and disobedient throughout the proceedings.
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Stay Order: Shortly after, a different SC bench headed by Justice Ayesha A. Malik stays the trial court proceedings while a review petition against the February verdict is considered.
2025: The “Punjab Government” Plea
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April 23, 2025: The Lahore High Court rejects Imran Khan’s petition to make the Punjab government (through the law secretary) a party to the case. The court rules that this is a private matter between two individuals and the state has no role in it.
2026: Recent Developments
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March 31, 2026: A three-judge SC bench led by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar takes up the appeal against the LHC’s April 2025 order.
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Justice Aurangzeb’s Observation: Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb observes that defamation cases must legally be decided within six months, highlighting the nine-year delay in this specific suit.
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Current Status: Further proceedings are adjourned until April 7, 2026, pending the final outcome of the 2023 judgment review.
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