The Lahore High Court has sought a response within seven days on Meesha Shafi’s plea challenging the trial court’s Rs5 million damages order in Ali Zafar’s defamation case.
WEB DESK: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought a response within seven days on singer Meesha Shafi’s appeal challenging a trial court order directing her to pay Rs5 million in damages in a defamation case filed by fellow singer Ali Zafar.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad heard Shafi’s appeal against the trial court’s decision.
Meesha Shafi challenges trial court verdict
Meesha Shafi has argued that the lower court failed to properly assess the facts and relevant law while deciding the defamation case.
Her counsel told the high court that the sexual harassment allegations at the centre of the dispute had not been decided on their merits before the defamation case was concluded.
Shafi has also maintained that her related sexual harassment case remains pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. She argued that an allegation that has not been proved cannot automatically be treated as false merely because it remains unsubstantiated.
The singer has asked the Lahore High Court to set aside the trial court’s order requiring her to pay Rs5 million in damages.
LHC seeks response from relevant party
During the latest hearing, the high court sought a response from the relevant party within seven days on Shafi’s miscellaneous application.
The court had previously suspended the trial court’s decision to the extent of the Rs5 million damages while the appeal proceedings continue.
Background of Ali Zafar-Meesha Shafi case
The defamation dispute dates back to 2018, when Shafi publicly accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. Zafar subsequently filed a defamation suit seeking Rs1 billion in damages.
After lengthy proceedings, a Lahore sessions court ruled in favour of Zafar in March 2026 and ordered Shafi to pay Rs5 million in general damages. The court also restrained her from repeating or publishing the allegations in question.
The trial lasted nearly eight years, during which hundreds of hearings were held and statements from 20 witnesses were recorded.
Appeal remains pending
Shafi subsequently challenged the verdict before the Lahore High Court, arguing that the trial court had made errors in its assessment of the case.
The high court’s latest order does not constitute a final decision on the appeal. The proceedings will continue after the response sought by the court is submitted.
The case therefore remains under judicial consideration, with the Rs5 million damages order subject to the outcome of the appeal.
