Lahore sessions court on Tuesday ordered singer Meesha Shafi to pay Rs5 million in damages to singer-actor Ali Zafar in a defamation case filed by him. The case relates to allegations of sexual harassment that Shafi had levelled against Zafar.
Court officials stated that a detailed verdict will be released soon. The short order was announced after the conclusion of the hearing on Monday, signaling the final decision in the long-standing case.
Ali Zafar had filed the defamation suit in 2018, claiming that Shafi’s allegations of sexual harassment had tarnished his public image and caused distress to his family. Zafar sought Rs1 billion in damages from Shafi.
Shafi, in 2018, had accused Zafar of sexually harassing her on multiple occasions. The case has been closely followed in Pakistan, as it involved high-profile figures from the entertainment industry.
During the proceedings, Zafar’s counsel, Advocate Umar Tariq Gill, argued that the allegations were false and had caused serious damage to his reputation. He emphasized that no one other than Shafi had made such claims against Zafar.
Meesha Shafi’s lawyer, Advocate Saqib Jilani, urged the court to dismiss the defamation suit, arguing that Shafi had consistently reported her grievances and no concrete evidence had been presented to support Zafar’s defamation claims.
The court, after reviewing arguments from both sides, ruled in favor of Ali Zafar, awarding Rs5 million in damages. The verdict comes after years of legal proceedings and public attention surrounding the case.
