Imran, Asif fined Rs10,000 each for seeking adjournment.

ISLAMABAD -- A sessions court of Islamabad on Saturday imposed a fine of Rs10,000 each on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for seeking adjournment in the former's defamation suit worth Rs10 billion against the latter.

Noting that the law stipulated that the claim for damages be decided within a period of 90 days, Additional Sessions Judge Umid Baloch bemoaned that the case at hand was lingering for 11 years.

His remarks came after adjournment was requested on the day of cross-examination.

The lawyers' cross-examination of Imran was thus postponed till February 11.

During the hearing, Asif's lawyer Haider Rasool and his associate pleaded for the postponement of the hearing, saying that the defendant's lawyer's niece was getting married.

Meanwhile, the former prime minister did not appear in the court through video-link either and due to the non-availability of Asif's lawyer, his cross-examination could not be completed.

Imran's lawyers did not oppose the request to adjourn the hearing either.

The judge noted that the case had been going on for 11 years, and they were requesting adjournment on the day of cross-examination. He highlighted that the...