The authorities in Dubai have refused to entertain a criminal defamation suit on behalf of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, filed by his lawyer Hassan Aslam Shad, due to lack of evidence. Imran Khan had announced in December 2022 that he had instructed his lawyer to file a defamation suit and criminal proceedings in the United Arab Emirates against Geo News, its anchor Shahzeb Khanzada, and Dubai-based businessman Umer Farooq Zahoor. However, the Dubai police refused to entertain the request due to a lack of evidence and failure of the lawyer to establish merits of the case under UAE laws.

UAE defamation laws come under criminal law, not under civil law, and any person intending to file a complaint must start at the police level and then move for public prosecution. A criminal complaint can be filed for defamation against an individual or organization under Articles 371 to 380 of the UAE Federal Law No. 3 of 1987. If found guilty, the defendant can expect a jail term of up to two years or a fine of up to AED20,000.

Imran Khan’s lawyer in the UK has sent a pre-action protocol letter to Geo News in London, around three weeks after Shahzeb Khanzada’s show was aired on November 15, 2022, although no defamation claim has yet been issued. Geo News editorial and legal team believe that the pre- and post-broadcast journalistic norms of objectivity and fairness were met in the content and series of the shows and are confident that they have a robust defense to any claim for defamation. Geo News has invited Imran Khan and his team to appear on the show to provide their version of the Toshakhana issue, but to date, no appropriate response has been provided.