Pakistan, June 11 -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has restored the right of former prime minister Imran Khan to defend himself in a defamation case filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, overturning earlier decisions by lower courts.

A bench of the Supreme Court announced the short order on Wednesday, with Justice Ayesha Malik reading out the verdict. The court ruled by a majority of two judges that Imran Khan's right to defence should be reinstated.

The judgment also included a dissenting note from one judge who supported maintaining the earlier decision that had barred the former premier from presenting his defence in the case.

The legal dispute stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Shehbaz Sharif against Imran Khan. During earl...