Summary Lahore court rules in favour of Ali Zafar in defamation case against Meesha Shafi, imposing Rs5 million penalty after eight years of hearings and rejecting harassment allegations.
LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – A Lahore sessions court has delivered a major verdict in the long-running defamation case filed by Ali Zafar against fellow singer Meesha Shafi, imposing a fine of Rs5 million on the latter while rejecting her allegations of sexual harassment.
The ruling was announced by Additional Sessions Judge Asif Hayat after an extensive legal battle spanning eight years. The court decreed the defamation claim in favour of Ali Zafar, dismissing the accusations levelled against him by Meesha Shafi.
The case, originally filed in 2018, sought damages worth Rs1 billion, with Ali Zafar maintaining that the allegations were false and had caused irreparable harm to his reputation, career, and public standing.
During the final hearings, both sides presented detailed arguments before the court. Counsel for Ali Zafar, Barrister Umar Tariq Gul, argued that the allegations of sexual harassment were baseless and had been made without any supporting evidence. He emphasised that not a single witness was produced to substantiate the claims, urging the court to award full damages in favour of his client.
On the other hand, Meesha Shafi’s counsel, Saqib Jillani, maintained that his client had faced sexual harassment, which led her to refuse further professional collaboration with Ali Zafar. He argued that cases of harassment often lack direct witnesses and that the testimony of the affected individual should be considered valid, citing precedents from higher courts.
After reviewing witness statements, cross-examinations, and legal submissions, the court reserved its judgment before finally announcing the verdict.
The scale and duration of the case highlight its complexity and significance. Over the course of eight years, the court recorded statements from 20 witnesses, including 13 presented by Ali Zafar and seven by Meesha Shafi. A total of 283 hearings were conducted, while nine different judges presided over the case at various stages due to transfers, contributing to delays in proceedings.
Despite the prolonged timeline, the court ultimately ruled that the allegations made against Ali Zafar could not be proven, leading to the dismissal of Meesha Shafi’s claims and the imposition of financial damages.
The dispute began in April 2018 when Meesha Shafi publicly accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment on social media, marking one of Pakistan’s most prominent cases linked to the global #MeToo movement. Ali Zafar denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit in June 2018, asserting that the claims were malicious and had caused significant professional and personal damage. Parallel legal proceedings further complicated the dispute. Meesha Shafi had earlier approached the Punjab Ombudsperson with a harassment complaint, which was dismissed due to the absence of an employer-employee relationship. In 2019, she also filed a counter-defamation suit against Ali Zafar over his public statements.
Additionally, related complaints involving cybercrime and defamation were pursued in different legal forums, while courts imposed restrictions on public commentary during the proceedings.
