Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Food Minister, Zahir Shah Toru, has issued a legal notice to Federal Minister Amir Muqam, demanding  Rs. 50 million in damages for defamation. The notice, sent on behalf of Minister Toru, accuses Muqam of making baseless allegations during a press conference on August 3, which damaged Toru’s reputation. The notice demands that Amir Muqam issue a public apology within 14 days, failing which legal action will be initiated, and the damages will be pursued in court. This legal notice follows a similar defamation case where Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had previously sent a Rs. 1 billion defamation notice to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. Gandapur's notice, issued through his lawyer, accused the governor of falsely claiming that the Chief Minister had signed the Apex Committee's Operation Azm-e-Istahkam draft. Gandapur demanded a public retraction and apology, or else the governor would face a Rs. 100 crore penalty. The notices reflect rising tensions between key political figures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with claims of reputational damage and defamation becoming increasingly common in the province’s political landscape.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan