LAHORE: A private TV channel of Pakistan has shut down operations and transmission in UK after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz lodged defamation case at UK High Court against the channel over a programme aired in the UK by the channel making false accusations of Maryam Nawaz taking Toshakhana gifts in the alleged violation of rules and in conspiracy with the bureaucrats.
The channel has previously apologised to Senator Ishaq Dar in UK in his defamation case and also lost defamation case to PMLN UK vice president Nasir Mahmood.
Sources in the TV channel confirmed that the channel terminated its services from 31st July 2024 in the UK after being advised by its UK lawyers that it will lose defamation case to Maryam Nawaz at the trial in the UK High Court later this year with the potential costs of over £250,000 in legal fees and damage reward to Maryam Nawaz.
Last month, the channel sent out a notification to UK government’s TV regulator and Sky management that it was winding up the company that owned the channel in UK and will stop broadcasting in the UK after 31st July 2024.
Maryam Nawaz started case against the channel after two anchors of programme on 17 November 2022 accused Maryam of taking Toshakhana gifts. The anchors alleged that Maryam Nawaz took a watch from Toshakhana worth a million for only Rs45,000 with help from the bureaucracy in a corrupt scheme.
The allegation was false as Maryam Nawaz never received any such gift, her lawyers argued in the claim, seeking apology and damages.
Her lawyers stated in court papers at UK High Court that Maryam had suffered serious harm to her reputation by the imputations in the broadcast and therefore the channel should apologise.
The channel accepted during the communications that it had no defence of the allegations but argued on technicalities and that the anchors were fed news by the social media after the Toshakhana scandals broke out. Maryam Nawaz was represented in the case by Stone White Solicitors.
Maryam Nawaz’s case at UK High Court was registered for trial hearings later this year and before the trial in the same court in just a few months, the channel has decided to shut its operations and move into liquidation to avoid paying heavy damages and costs.
The show was aired in UK and Pakistan after the federal government made the list of state officials who received Toshakhana gifts since 2002 public in accordance with the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) directives.
A PMLN spokesman in Lahore said Maryam Nawaz had never benefitted from Toshakhana and the allegation was false. “Maryam Nawaz lodged case in the UK to clear her name and she stands vindicated as 92 News made it clear during proceedings it had no evidence.
The channel confirmed the allegation was false and knew it would be heavily punished for running a fake news. Therefore it has decided to liquidate and end business in UK.”
Nobody how influential he might be couldn’t dare to challenge writ of government
Constant traffic often results in congestion on both sides, with heavy vehicles frequently getting stuck in potholes
