Former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan has lost the defamation case against Prime Minister’s former Special Assistant Zulfi Bukhari and issued a detailed apology on social media. Reham Khan has reportedly paid £50,000 to Zulfi Bukhari as damages and withdrawn all allegations against the former Special Assistant.
Zulfi Bukhari had sued Reham Khan at the London High Court after she published a video on her YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter on 6 December 2019, claiming that Bukhari was involved in a “corrupt plan with the prime minister to sell or acquire the Roosevelt Hotel in New York at lesser value for his benefit.”
Zulfi Bukhari – An apology https://t.co/zsNqEoINFF pic.twitter.com/GVjvynbKJ3
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) October 14, 2021
However, the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken to social media and issued an official apology to Zulfi Bukhari. “On 6 and 7 December 2019, I published a video on my YouTube Channel, my Facebook page, and on my Twitter account in which I asserted that Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, more commonly known as Zulfi Bukhari, was involved in a corrupt plan with the Prime Minister of Pakistan to sell or acquire the Roosevelt Hotel in New York at an undervalue for his benefit.”
“These allegations were false and untrue. Zulfi Bukhari, as I now understand, was not involved in any corrupt plan with the Prime Minister of Pakistan to sell or acquire the Roosevelt,” Reham Khan added. “On 7 December 2019, I retweeted a tweet and video by Syed Tauqeer Bukhari in which it was asserted that Zulfi Bukhari was involved in fraud and nepotism by trying to sell a precious asset of the state of Pakistan, the Roosevelt Hotel, for a meagre amount of money. These allegations were false and untrue. Zulfi Bukhari, as I now understand, has not been involved in fraud or nepotism nor was he trying to sell the Roosevelt for a meagre amount of money.”
“On 15 March 2020, I retweeted a tweet and video by Syed Tauqeer Bukhari in which it was asserted that Zulfi Bukhari had told lies on television, including showing fake documents to people. It was further asserted that Zulfi Bukhari had made money by illegal and fraudulent means and used illegal means to launder it.”
“These allegations were false and untrue. Zulfi Bukhari had never shown fake documents to people. His money has not been made by illegal or fraudulent means nor has he used illegal means to launder it. Zulfi Bukhari has built his wealth; such as it is, through hard work and not through any form of illegal conduct.” Reham Khan continued in her apology to Zulfi Bukhari.
“On 17 March 2020, I retweeted a tweet by Inamullah Khattak in which it was asserted that Zulfi Bukhari had served official notices of complaint on journalists who criticized his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and this amounted to a state attack on the freedom of the press for which he is responsible. These allegations were false and untrue, as Zulfi Bukhari had no role in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.”
“On 23 March 2020, I retweeted a tweet by Syed Tauqeer Bukhari in which it was asserted that Zulfi Bukhari had put millions of Pakistanis’ lives at risk because of his incompetent management of the spread of the coronavirus in Pakistan.” she said, adding that, “These allegations were false and untrue as Zulfi Bukhari was not involved in the management of coronavirus in Pakistan. I unconditionally apologize to Zulfi Bukhari for the significant distress, upset and embarrassment which these publications have caused him. I have agreed to pay Zulfi Bukhari substantial damages for libel and to pay his legal costs.”
According to the settlement agreed between the two parties, Reham Khan agreed that she will issue an apology via Twitter along with a clarification in both English and Urdu. She was also required to pin her apology to her Twitter account for at least 3 consecutive days.
Furthermore, Reham Khan also said that she would post the apology on her YouTube channel as well as her Facebook page.
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