Khawaja to face cross-examination in Imran’s defamation case on March 18,

ISLAMABAD –Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was a coward man,

Talking to reporters, he said how ironical it was that while on one hand, he asked his party workers to surrender to police, on the other hand, he had taken refuge in his Zaman Park residence. “He talks about court-martialing the former army chief, but says to the serving to come and meet him,” he said.

Asif remarked satirically that Imran repeatedly implored to the ‘establishment’ to take him under its wings again since he had become a political orphan.

He went on to say that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz wanted to organise the party. “She wants to model the party on new lines,” he said, adding, “Hopefully, this will immensely benefit the party.”

The minister said where the party’s old structure was intact and doing well, it would not be replaced. “Otherwise, there is a need to inject fresh blood in the party,” he said, adding, “Maryam wants the country’s youth to join the party in large numbers.”

A district and sessions court in the federal capital on Saturday announced a date for cross-examination of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the Rs10 billion defamation case filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan against him.

Additional Sessions Judge Umeed Ali Baloch said the cross examination would be conducted on March 18 when Mr Asif is also expected to attend the hearing.

During today’s hearing, The PTI chief’s lawyer filed a plea for adjournment of the hearing, saying he was unable to contact to Imran Khan due to the party’s court arrest drive movement. The judge adjourned the hearing till March 18, directing the lawyer to not further delay the proceedings.

In 2012, The PTI chief had filed the defamation case against the PML-N leader for making allegations of non-transparency, money laundering and suspicious investments in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust funds.