singer Meesha Shafi must pay Rs5 million in damages to singer-actor Ali Zafar in a defamation case.
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Zafar after Shafi publicly accused him of sexual harassment. According to court officials, a detailed judgment explaining the reasoning behind the ruling will be issued later.
The court had reserved its verdict a day earlier after concluding hearings, signaling that a decision was imminent.
Zafar’s defamation suit, filed in 2018, argued that Shafi’s allegations had severely harmed his public image and caused distress to him and his family. He initially sought Rs1 billion in damages.
During the proceedings, Zafar’s lawyer, Advocate Umar Tariq Gill, maintained that the accusations were false and had significantly damaged his client’s reputation. He emphasized that no other individual had made similar claims against Zafar and requested the court to grant full damages.
On the other hand, Shafi’s counsel, Advocate Saqib Jilani, urged the court to dismiss the case. He argued that the plaintiff failed to provide solid evidence to support the defamation claim. He also stated that Shafi had consistently described multiple incidents of alleged harassment and stood by her account despite extensive cross-examination. According to the defense, raising her allegations should not result in punishment through a defamation ruling.
