Meesha Shafi challenges PKR 5M defamation ruling in Lahore High Court

Singer Meesha Shafi has filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court against a sessions court ruling that ordered her to pay PKR 5 million in damages to Ali Zafar. The challenge follows a March 31 decision in Lahore, where the trial court ruled in Zafar's favor in a defamation case he filed in 2018 after Shafi publicly accused him of sexual harassment.

What is Meesha Shafi's appeal arguing?

Shafi's appeal argues that the sessions court misapplied the burden of proof. Her lawyers contend that while the court found she could not substantiate her harassment allegations, it did not require Zafar to prove the harassment never occurred. The appeal challenges this reasoning as legally flawed and asks the high court to set aside the damages order.

Why does Shafi say the defamation ruling was premature?

The petition raises a separate procedural concern rooted in parallel legal proceedings. Shafi had previously filed a harassment complaint with the provincial ombudsperson, which was dismissed. Her challenge to that dismissal is still pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. On this basis, her lawyers argue that issuing a defamation decree before that matter is resolved was premature and should not stand.

What has Shafi asked the Lahore High Court to do?

Shafi has asked the court to overturn the sessions court's decision entirely. She has also requested that the defamation ruling be suspended until the Supreme Court reaches a final decision in the related harassment case. Her legal team maintains that key aspects of the case were not properly evaluated at the trial stage.

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

The defamation case has stretched over eight years, spanning 283 hearings and nine judge replacements. Twenty witnesses testified during the trial, with both sides completing cross-examinations before submitting final arguments. Zafar originally filed the PKR 1 billion defamation suit in 2018 through his lawyer Rana Intizar, alleging that Shafi's accusations were unfounded and had severely damaged his reputation. He had also issued a legal notice in April 2018 demanding an apology and financial compensation.

What other legal orders have come out of this case?

The court imposed a gag order in 2019, which was later upheld when challenged. In 2021, the Supreme Court admitted Shafi's petition against that order for preliminary hearing and linked it to a broader suo motu case aimed at defining sexual harassment. That matter remains under consideration.