Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has served a legal notice to Pakistan Muslim League (N)’s top leader Maryam Nawaz asking her to apologise for making 'defamatory' accusations against her. Bibi served Nawaz a legal notice demanding an apology for hurling "defamatory, false, frivolous and slanderous accusations" against her during the May Day speech in Lahore, according to news agency PTI.
The notice said that Maryam’s statement was part of a “vilification campaign” aimed to “harm, defame and denigrate” Bushra Bibi and her family with “criminal object to benefit the political opponents of Imran Khan”, the report added.
"Maryam has launched a vilification campaign to defame and denigrate Bushra Bibi who is a pardah (veil) observing lady and her family with criminal objects to benefit the political opponents of Imran Khan," it was quoted by PTI.
In her speech, Maryam accused Bushra of taking “five-carat gold rings” as bribes for facilitating the transfer of a piece of land to a property tycoon during Khan’s tenure as prime minister. According to news outlet Dawn, the PML(N) leader said “five-carat gold rings as bribes for getting documents signed by authorities” during her address.
Bushra has asked Maryam to withdraw her allegations and issue an apology to her within seven days or face the court of law.
The notice further stated that Maryam’s “slanderous” statement was heard and viewed by everyone across the world and in Pakistan, it created a “ridiculous impression” that Bushra Bibi was a dishonest and unethical person, Dawn reported.
The notice asked Maryam to withdraw her May 1 statement and issue an apology to Bushra within seven days or face the court of law.
Responding to the notice, the chief organiser of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), said in a tweet, "Now she (Bushra Bibi) will at least go to the court where her thefts will be exposed."
According to Dawn, earlier this week, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had revealed that Bushra Bibi had decided to lodge a criminal case against Maryam.