LAHORE – Singer Meesha Shafi has been ordered to pay Rs5 million to singer-actor Ali Zafar. The ruling comes after years of legal battles stemming from Shafi’s 2018 allegations of sexual harassment against singer, which he claimed had damaged his reputation and caused his family distress.
A sessions court ordered singer Meesha Shafi to pay Rs50Lac in damages to singer-actor Ali Zafar. The ruling comes in a defamation case filed by Zafar after Shafi accused him of sexual harassment, sparking national debate. Court officials confirmed that a detailed verdict will be released soon.
The case reached a crucial milestone when the hearing concluded earlier this week. Ali Zafar, in his defamation suit, claimed that Shafi’s allegations had severely tarnished his public image and caused immense suffering to his family.
In her 2018 complaint, Shafi alleged that Zafar had sexually harassed her on multiple occasions. Zafar had initially demanded a staggering Rs1 billion in damages.
During the final arguments, Ali Zafar’s lawyer, Advocate Umar Tariq Gill, painted Shafi’s allegations as false and damaging, emphasizing that no one else had ever accused Zafar of misconduct. He urged the court to grant the defamation suit and award the full claimed amount.
Shafi’s lawyer fiercely defended her, asking court to dismiss the defamation suit with costs. He argued that no concrete evidence had been produced to support Zafar’s claims, highlighting that Shafi had consistently reported multiple harassment incidents and remained steadfast despite rigorous cross-examination. Jilani insisted that Shafi cannot be punished for speaking out about her own experiences through the lawsuit filed by Zafar.
Saba Hameed speaks out on daughter Meesha Shafi’s case against Ali Zafar
