ISLAMABAD  -  A court in Pakistan has issued notices to a right-wing Norway tabloid and its journalist for publishing a false and defamatory story on Pakistani origin businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.

Additional District and Session court in Ferozwala has summoned Chief Editor of Verdens Gang (VG) tabloid, its reporter Mr Wold. J. Wideroe and a Pakistani small publication that reprinted the same false story.

The notices have been served by the court on the three defendants to appear before the court in Mr Zahoor’s defamation case on 17 December 20204 or action will be taken against the accused ex-parte. The notices have been served already in Norway at the anti-immigration and right-wing tabloid’s address.

The case says: “The defendants in collusion with each other have been running a malicious campaign against the plaintiff since long for his religion and race. It will not be out of place to mention here that the aforesaid VG Tabloid is known for publishing anti-Islam and anti-Pakistani content and the plaintiff has been the victim of the defendants since long as they are pressurizing and blackmailing the plaintiff as the plaintiff is suffering the propaganda of the defendants No.2&3, but now they have acceded all the limits.

“That the defendants No.2&3 have been targeting the plaintiff with malicious intent for the last fifteen years by publishing defamatory articles now and then. The defendants have also been witch-hunting the plaintiff since a long period due to the main reason for organizing the false campaign is Islam phobia, racism and personal score against the plaintiff.”

The claim seeks a total of Rs.605,000,000 from the defendants for causing harm to the reputation of Mr Umar Farooq Zahoor, who is a well-known business figure in the Middle East.

Umar Farooq announced defamation case in September last year after the tabloid accused that the state of Pakistan had awarded him with the Hilal-e-Pakistan for his role in Toshakhana case.

The legal notice/suit states that the “name of our client Umar Farooq Zahoor has been approved for conferment of civil award Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the president of Pakistan in acknowledgment of his efforts and meritorious services in bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in country as direct foreign investment.”

The notice says that “the main reason for orchestrating this false campaign is Islamophobia, racism and your personal score against our client. That article in question is an ongoing onslaught by your tabloid against our client in order to tarnish his reputation, dignity, honour, business and social status on account of racism, settling personal score and for illegal/unlawful purposes”.

The lawsuit says that the tabloid VG deliberately did not tell its readers that the Presiding Judicial Officer namely Arild Nesdal who gave passing remarks against Umar Farooq Zahoor, relied upon by the tabloid, while awarding sentence to one of the accused in the alleged fraud has himself been convicted in child pornography offences.  The lawsuit says that Wideroe is aware of the grave nature of the crime but the tabloid intentionally concealed this important fact while covering the Nordea Bank case.

The suit also reveals that the Norwegian tabloid registered a criminal case against Zahoor on allegations of threatening the tabloid but the case has also been dismissed by the Oslo Police after thorough probe vide notification dated 23.03.2023. “It is beyond imagination how our client can threaten your tabloid while not being in Norway”.

The lawsuit says Wideroe has been a proclaimed offender in Pakistan since 2015. “A criminal case bearing No 222/2015 was registered against him for depriving a Pakistani citizen Maqsood Ali of ten million rupees by making a false promise of getting him a Norwegian passport during his visit to Nawabshah, Pakistan.

It says: “After receiving hefty payment Mr Rolf J Wideroe firstly threatened Mr Maqsood Ali of dire consequences and finally managed to flee from Pakistan. The Law Enforcement Agency managed to secure non-bailable arrest warrants of Mr Rolf J Wideroe from the competent court of law. Subsequently, request for issuance of Red Warrants was made for Mr Rolf J Wideroe. He is still absconding from the process of law and [is] wanted by the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. Your tabloid is continuously publishing stories of a proclaimed offender who intentionally distorts and conceals facts for his own personal gains.”