The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the trial court to conclude the defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar against actress and singer Meesha Shafi within 30 days. This marks a significant development in the long-running legal dispute.
Justice Ahmed Nadeem Arshad issued the directive on Tuesday while dismissing a petition filed by Meesha Shafi. She had challenged an earlier trial court order restricting her from making public statements about the case until its conclusion.
Upholding the trial court’s decision, the LHC ruled that the temporary ban on public commentary is both lawful and justified. The court observed that while freedom of expression is a fundamental right, courts must ensure that such freedoms do not compromise the right to a fair trial.
During the hearing, Shafi’s legal team argued that injunctions should not be enforced in defamation cases. However, the court rejected this stance.
The defamation case dates back to 2018, when Ali Zafar filed a Rs 1 billion damages suit against Meesha Shafi following her allegations of sexual harassment. Zafar, through his counsel Rana Intizar, claimed that the accusations were baseless and had severely harmed his reputation, goodwill, and professional standing. In addition, he sought an unconditional apology from Shafi.
Zafar had earlier served a legal notice to Shafi. He asserted that her social media posts from April 19, 2018, were defamatory and caused irreparable damage to his livelihood.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the Supreme Court admitted Shafi’s petition challenging the LHC’s ruling for preliminary hearing. The apex court noted that the issues raised required further examination. Additionally, it linked the case with an ongoing suo motu matter concerning the definition of sexual harassment.