LAHORE: The Punjab Defamation Tribunal in Lahore has directed Pakistani-French fashion designer Mehmood Ahmad Bhatti and his co-defendants to furnish personal surety bonds of Rs. 3 million each after allowing them to defend a defamation claim filed by healthcare entrepreneur and National Hospital DHA Lahore director Rizwan Aftab Ahmad.
The order, issued Sept. 3 in the case of Rizwan Aftab Ahmad v. Mehmood Ahmad Bhatti & Others, said the dispute involved mixed questions of law and fact that could only be resolved through evidence.
The tribunal therefore granted the defendants leave to contest the case, subject to the surety requirement.
Bhatti is named as a defendant alongside Omar Aftab, host of the YouTube channel Startupreneur, and Ali Dar, host of the Views Matter Podcast.
According to court records, the case relates to allegations that Bhatti circulated a letter containing allegedly defamatory claims against Ahmad and later repeated or expanded the allegations during social media interviews.
Ahmad has argued that the statements harmed his reputation, while Bhatti has denied making defamatory remarks and maintained that the interview was taken out of context.
A lawyer representing one of the digital journalists argued that his client only hosted the interview as part of his journalistic activities and did not personally make any allegedly defamatory statements. The plaintiff challenged that argument, contending that providing a platform for the dissemination of the alleged remarks could also result in legal liability.
The tribunal has not made any final determination that defamation occurred. Instead, it said the question of whether the defendants’ statements or conduct fall within the scope of defamation will be decided after evidence is presented.
The Lahore proceedings are separate from criminal proceedings involving Bhatti in France. According to Le Monde, Bhatti admitted tax fraud and aggravated money laundering before the Paris Court of Appeals in May 2026. He received a 24-month suspended prison sentence, a €150,000 fine and a 10-year ban on managing a company, along with the confiscation of certain assets.
The tribunal has directed the parties to submit proposed issues, witness lists and relevant documents for the evidence stage. The case has been scheduled for further proceedings on Sept. 22, 2026.
