- Shafi was banned from tweeting about harassment allegations.
- The verdict delivered by Judge Asif Hayat closes a high-profile case.
- The trial covers 284 hearings and the statements of 20 witnesses were recorded.
LAHORE: A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday announced its verdict in a defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi, ordering the latter to pay Rs 5 million as damages.
Additional Sessions Judge Asif Hayat gave a reserved sentence, ending the high-profile case.
Zafar had filed a defamation suit in 2018 seeking compensation of Rs 1 billion after Shafi accused him of sexual harassment, allegations he consistently denied.
The suit 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 restrained Shafi from posting tweets related to the harassment allegations.
Zafar was represented by lawyer Umar Tariq Gill, while Shafi was represented by lawyer Saqib Jilani.
During the judicial process, the statements of 20 witnesses were recorded during the trial. The case spanned 284 hearings and saw the transfer of nine judges throughout the litigation.
After the sentencing, Zafar’s lawyer said things will become clearer when the detailed verdict is published.
Meanwhile, Shafi’s lawyer told the media that the sessions court verdict will be challenged in the high court. “We are currently reviewing the certified copy of the verdict,” he added.
The trial court’s ruling came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) order issued in January to decide the defamation suit within 30 days.
LHC Judge Ahmad Nadeem Arshad announced the verdict on a petition filed by Shafi challenging a lower court order dated January 24, 2019, directing him to refrain from issuing statements against Zafar on all media platforms, including social media.
The court upheld the trial court’s ruling and 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 took to Twitter, now X, to publicly accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on “more than one occasion.”
