Pakistan Court Orders Meesha Shafi To Pay Rs 5 Million To Ali Zafar In Defamation Case

A sessions court in Lahore on Tuesday (March 31) directed singer Meesha Shafi to pay Rs 5 million in damages to singer-actor Ali Zafar in a long-running defamation case. The court observed that Shafi had made “false, defamatory and injurious” allegations of sexual harassment against Zafar, reported Arab News.

Pakistan court orders Meesha Shafi to pay damages to Ali Zafar in defamation case

In the court's order, Justice Asif Hayat stated that Shafi’s social media post and her interview in Instep Today magazine on April 21, 2018, contained “false, defamatory and injurious imputations against the plaintiff.”

“The plaintiff is held entitled to compensatory damages on account of injury to reputation, dignity and mental anguish,” the order reads. 

“However, the claim of special damages has not been proved through cogent and reliable evidence. Accordingly, a sum of Rs 5,000,000 [rupees five million] is awarded to the plaintiff as general damages only, recoverable from the defendant,” it reads further.

The court has also “permanently restrained” Shafi from repeating, publishing or causing to be published the harassment allegations against Zafar in any form of media, be it on print, electronic or social media platforms.

Meesha Shafi vs Ali Zafar case explained

The case dates back to April 2018, when Shafi, in a social media post, accused Zafar of “sexual harassment of a physical nature” on multiple occasions. The latter has repeatedly denied the allegations and filed a Rs 1 billion defamation suit against the former in the same year, claiming that Shafi's allegations had damaged his image and caused distress to him and his family. 

In the wake of the #MeToo movement in Hollywood following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Shafi’s allegation against Zafar sparked the #MeToo moment in Pakistan.