UK court orders retired major Adil Raja to pay £50,000 in libel damages to Rashid Naseer
Raja made a series of defamatory June 2022 claims against Naseer that the Court found had no lawful defense
Aamir Abbasi
Editor, Islamabad
Aamir; a journalist with 15 years of experience, working in Newspaper, TV and Digital Media. Worked in Field, covered Big Legal Constitutional and Political Events in Pakistan since 2009 with Pakistan’s Top Media Organizations. Graduate of Quaid I Azam University Islamabad.
File photo of Adil Raja.
The UK High Court has ordered retired Pakistani major Adil Raja to pay £50,000 in libel damages to Rashid Naseer, along with an interim costs’ payment of £260,000 and full legal costs, in a high-profile defamation case.
The Court found that Raja had made a series of defamatory statements against Naseer in June 2022, all of which lacked any lawful defense.
The allegations, relating to Naseer’s alleged involvement in the 2022 Punjab elections, included claims of rigging, misuse of authority, corruption, and threats, all of which the High Court ruled as unfounded.
As part of the judgment, Raja has been directed to issue a court-approved apology summarizing the ruling. The apology must be published across all of Raja’s media platforms and remain pinned at the top for 28 days.
The Court also imposed a strict injunction preventing Raja from repeating, implying, or disseminating any of the allegations included in the judgment. Any breach could be treated as contempt of court, with potential penalties including fines or imprisonment.
Raja is required to pay the damages and interim costs by 22 December 2025, with full legal costs to follow as determined by the Court.
The ruling brings to a close more than three years of legal proceedings stemming from the 2022 allegations, marking a significant legal victory for Naseer.
Comments
See what people are discussing