- Shafi prevented from sending tweets about harassment allegations.
- The verdict handed down by Judge Asif Hayat ends the high-profile case.
- The trial spans 284 hearings, statements from 20 witnesses have been recorded.
LAHORE: A court in Lahore on Tuesday announced its verdict in a defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi, ordering the latter to pay Rs5 million in damages.
Additional Sessions Judge Asif Hayat delivered the reserved judgment, ending the high-profile case.
Zafar had filed a defamation suit in 2018 seeking Rs1 billion in damages after Shafi accused him of sexual harassment – allegations he consistently denied.
The case was filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002. In the notice, the singer claimed that Shafi had damaged his reputation through false allegations of sexual harassment.
The sessions court also barred Shafi from posting tweets related to the harassment allegations.
Zafar was represented by advocate Umar Tariq Gill, while Shafi was represented by advocate Saqib Jilani.
During the trial, statements from 20 witnesses were recorded during the trial. The case spanned 284 hearings and transferred nine judges over the course of the trial.
After the verdict, Zafar’s lawyer said things will become clearer after the detailed verdict is released.
Meanwhile, Shafi’s lawyer told the media that the sessions court verdict will be challenged in the high court. “We are currently going through the certified copy of the judgment,” he added.
This court ruling came after the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order issued in January to decide the defamation case within a period of 30 days.
LHC Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad announced the verdict on a petition filed by Shafi challenging a January 24, 2019 court order that ordered her to refrain from issuing statements against Zafar across all media platforms, including social media.
Upholding the high court’s decision, the court said, “The impugned order is a well-reasoned order based on sound legal principles and does not warrant interference by this court.”
In April 2018, Shafi had taken to Twitter, now X, to publicly accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on “more than one occasion”.
