LHC partly suspends PKR 5M damages order against Meesha Shafi in Ali Zafar case

The Lahore High Court conditionally suspended on Monday a sessions court order directing singer Meesha Shafi to pay PKR 5 million in damages to Ali Zafar.

Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad heard Meesha’s appeal against the trial court verdict, which ruled in Zafar's favor in a defamation case stemming from Shafi's 2018 sexual harassment allegations.

The court issued notice to Ali Zafar and sought his response to the appeal.

What did the Lahore High Court decide in the Meesha Shafi appeal?

The LHC partially suspended the PKR 5 million damages order but declined to stay the trial court's judgment in full. Shafi was ordered to deposit half the damages amount with the court and furnish a surety bond for the remaining half.

The court issued notice to Ali Zafar and sought his response before proceeding further.

Why did the court refuse to fully suspend the ruling?

Justice Arshad noted that the trial court's verdict also restrained Shafi from repeating sexual harassment allegations against Zafar. The judge said that portion of the order could not be suspended, as the court could not permit anyone to make such allegations while the matter remains under judicial consideration. The partial suspension applies only to the financial damages component of the ruling.

In her appeal, Shafi has challenged the sessions court's finding that accepted Zafar's defamation claim and directed her to pay PKR 5 million.

Her petition argues that the trial court misapplied the burden of proof and that the harassment allegations cannot be declared false until they receive a final decision on merit. She also contends that the sessions court ruling was legally premature, given that the original harassment case remains pending before the Supreme Court.

What was the original sessions court ruling in the Ali Zafar defamation case?

A Lahore sessions court ruled in Ali Zafar's favor on March 31, 2026, in the defamation case he filed in 2018.

The court held that Shafi's allegations had harmed his reputation and ordered her to pay PKR 5 million in damages.

Zafar had originally filed a PKR 1 billion defamation claim through his lawyer Rana Intizar, and had sent a legal notice in April 2018 seeking an apology and financial compensation before filing suit.

How long has the Ali Zafar and Meesha Shafi case been going on?

The legal battle has stretched over eight years, making it one of Pakistan's longest-running and most closely watched celebrity court cases.

The defamation suit went through 283 hearings, saw nine judges replaced and heard testimony from 20 witnesses, with both sides completing cross-examinations before final arguments were submitted.

The case entered a new phase this week with Shafi's appeal now underway at the Lahore High Court.

What other significant court orders have come out of this case?

In 2019, a court imposed a gag order restricting public discussion of the allegations, a ruling that was later upheld when challenged.

In 2021, the Supreme Court admitted Shafi's petition against that order for preliminary hearing and linked it with a broader suo motu case examining how sexual harassment is legally defined in Pakistan. That matter remains pending before the Supreme Court.