Meesha Shafi wants to remove judge hearing defamation case

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 4th May, 2019) Singer Meesha Shafi wants to remove the additional district judge hearing the defamation case filed against her by Ali Zafar.

Meesha has filed a no confidence application in the additional district judge with the sessions judge for being biased towards the co-star.

She has alleged that Additional District Judge Shakeel Ahmad is exhibiting prejudice during the hearing and requested that the case, consequently, be transferred to another court.

The petition stated that the judge has shown a clear and obvious bias in favour of the plaintiff which is apparent from the mode and manner in which he has so far conducted the proceedings.

The legal team claimed that the judge’s bias was visible since the hearings began but it was further confirmed after the serious impropriety displayed by him on April 27 during the cross examination of the first witness of the plaintiff by counsels for the defendant.

"The defendant does not have any confidence that the learned judge will be able to impartially and fairly proceeding in the case and hence desires to transfer her above-mentioned case to any other court of competent jurisdiction,” the petition read.

It noted that the judge had "advised the witnesses not to give long answers as he may contradict himself or he may prejudice his own stance".

Reacting to this, Ali Zafar’s lawyer Barrister Ambreen Qureshi wrote on Twitter, “Today, for the 8th time, our witnesses, including women, had to come back from the court as the other party has now filed an application to change the honourable judge.

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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear singer Meesha Shafi’s petition in the defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar next week on May 9.

In April 2018, Meesha Shafi had accused Zafar of harassing her on more than one occasion.

Ali Zafar had filed Rs 1 billion defamation case under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, after being accused of harassment. He denied all allegations levelled against him in a statement by Meesha Shafi.

Meesha Shafi had approached the Supreme Court last month against high court decision over her conflict with singer Ali Zafar.

Meesha Shafi pleaded in her petition that trial court has not allowed cross-examining the witnesses which is a fundamental right.

“It is not possible to cross examine on the basis of their statements without knowing the witnesses. Presenting witnesses is right of one party and cross questioning them is right of second party,” Meesha stated in her petition.

Lahore High Court endorsed trail court decision, the petition stated.

Meesha had requested the Supreme Court to allow her to cross question the witnesses besides setting aside high court decision.

This case is first of its nature which has been filed in the Supreme Court.