Meesha Shafi asks court to dismiss Ali Zafar’s defamation suit

Ali Zafar had attempted to resolve the matter privately before taking it public, but those efforts were unsuccessful

Singer Meesha Shafi on Wednesday approached a Lahore court seeking the dismissal of the defamation case filed against her by Ali Zafar.

During her final arguments, her lawyer, Saqib Jilani, stated that no concrete evidence had been presented to the court to support Zafar’s defamation claims. He added that Shafi had provided evidence of multiple alleged harassment incidents and had consistently maintained her original statements.

Jilani also noted that Zafar had attempted to resolve the matter privately before taking it public, but those efforts were unsuccessful. He argued that Shafi should not face punishment for speaking her truth.

Read: LHC directs trial court to decide Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha Shafi within 30 days

Previously, Zafar’s lawyer, Tariq Gill, claimed that Shafi’s allegations were false and had caused serious reputational harm to Zafar, affecting his career and personal life. Zafar is also seeking Rs1 billion in damages from Shafi.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Additional District & Sessions Judge Asif Hayat Bajwa postponed proceedings until Thursday.

The legal dispute between the two Pakistani singers dates back to 2018, when Shafi first accused Zafar of sexual harassment. Zafar has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that Shafi’s claims have damaged his public image and caused distress to his family.