JI sends Rs1bn defamation notice to ex-FBR chief Shabbar Zaidi

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has sent a legal notice to former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi and sought Rs1 billion in damages over allegations that the party received money to suppress public protests, according to a statement by the JI.

The statement said the legal notice was sent on July 27 through Advocate Tahir Iqbal Malik on the directives of the party’s Karachi General Secretary Taufiquddin Siddiqui.

When Dawn contacted Zaidi for his comment on Tuesday, the former FBR chief said he had forwarded the notice to his lawyer for legal advice.

The JI’s statement, citing the party’s notice, said Zaidi made serious allegations against the party during a podcast interview and subsequently in statements circulated on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

The notice alleged that the former FBR chairman described the party as the “establishment’s firewall” for “diluting” public issues and protests.

In the notice, the statement said, JI’s lawyer contended that Zaidi’s statements amounted to “serious allegations against the party, including secret funding, bribery, corruption, political deception, betrayal of public interests, and alleged collusion with state elements”.

Through the notice, the JI demanded that Zaidi provides complete evidence in support of his claim, including the identity of person who allegedly made the payment; the name of person who received the money; the amount paid; the date, time and place of the payment; the method of payment; the relevant bank account or financial document; details of the alleged protest or public issue; witnesses to the transaction, documents and recordings; and the source on the basis of which the allegation was made, the statement said.