The sessions court in Lahore announced a major decision in the defamation case made by singer Ali Zafar against another singer, Meesha Shafi, on Tuesday.
Additional Sessions Judge Asif Hayat delivered the reserved judgment.
In its decision, the court ordered Meesha Shafi to pay Rs5 million in damages.
Ali Zafar had originally filed a defamation claim worth Rs1 billion after Meesha Shafi accused him of sexual harassment.
In his defamation case filed in 2018, Ali Zafar said that Meesha’s sexual harassment allegations had damaged his public image and caused pain and distress to his family.
During the trial, statements from a total of 20 witnesses were recorded.
The case saw 284 hearings, and nine judges were transferred during the proceedings.
It is worth noting that Ali Zafar filed the defamation lawsuit against Meesha Shafi in 2018.
Meesha Shafi and Ali Zafar case
Last week, both sides completed their arguments in court.
Ali Zafar’s lawyer, Advocate Umar Tariq Gill, told the court that Meesha Shafi’s allegations were false and had seriously damaged his client’s reputation.
He said no one had ever made such accusations against Ali Zafar before and asked the court to accept the defamation claim and award Rs1 billion in damages.
Meesha Shafi’s lawyer, Advocate Saqib Jilani, asked the court to dismiss the case and impose costs.
He argued that the plaintiff had not provided solid evidence to prove defamation.
Further, he said that Meesha Shafi had reported several incidents of alleged harassment and had remained consistent in her statements during long cross examinations.
He also added that she should not be punished through a defamation case for speaking about her own experiences.
In the lawsuit filed in 2018, Ali Zafar said the allegations had harmed his public image and caused distress to his family.
He requested the court to rule in his favour and order Meesha Shafi to pay Rs1 billion in compensation.
