Defamation suit: Meesha Shafi challenges LHC decision in SC

LAHORE: Singer and Actor Meesha Shafi has challenged the Lahore court decision in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in relation to the ongoing defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar, who the actress accused of harassment last year in April.

In the last hearing at the sessions court, singer Shafi was fined Rs10,000 over absence of her lawyers in the court. Ambreen Qureshi, the lawyer for Ali Zafar, said Shafi’s failure to appear in court was a blatant attempt to delay the case.

Justice Masood Jahangir of the (LHC) suspended the order of District Judge directing the trial court judge to conclude Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha Shafi by April 15.

In today’s plea, Meesha Shafi’s lawyer stated that the trial court did not permit to delay cross-examination of witnesses.

The trial court had said that witnesses will be cross-examined after statements are presented before it.

In the plea, Shafi’s lawyer said that cross-examining the witnesses is the right of the other party.

Presenting a witness is the right of one party while cross-questioning it is the right of the other, said the lawyer in the petition.

The plea further mentioned that the LHC also seconded the decision of the trial court.

The petition requested the apex court to declare the decision of the high court null and void.

Zafar had filed the defamation suit last year against Shafi, who had accused him of sexual harassment.

The suit, claiming damages of Rs1 billion, was filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002. In the notice, the singer claimed Shafi damaged his reputation through false allegations of sexual harassment.

In his plea for early disposal of the case, Zafar pleaded that Shafi and her lawyers should not be granted any more adjournments which waste the court’s precious time. He further requested the court to decide the case within the next 30 days as it had already been almost a year since the inception of the case.

In April 2018, Shafi had taken to Twitter to publicly accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on "more than one occasion".