The defamation suits of both actors Meesha Shafi and Ali Zafar against each other are still pending in sessions court.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 29th, 2020) Meesha Shafi and eight others have been booked by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for allegedly planning and running an hidden campaign to defame singer-actor Ali Zafar.
Special FIA court had earlier ordered the agency to register FIR against the actress and her eight other accomplices.
“Iffat Omar, Leena Ghani, Maham Javaid, Fariha Ayub, Ali Gul, Haseemuz Zaman Khan, Syed Faizan Raza and Humna Raza are the other accomplices of Meesha Shafi who have been booked,” said an FIA officer on the condition of anonymity.
He said the agency registered FIR against them under section 20 (1) of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and R/W 109-PPC.
However, he said that the offence was non-cognisable offence, and therefore, FIA need prior permission from the special court for their arrest. The agency had summoned the suspects to explain their position.
“Criminal proceedings against them will be started if they failed to justify or defend themselves,” the officer further said.
Ali Zafar had filed a complaint with FIA cyber crime wing in Nov 2018, submitting that he was receiving threats while defamatory material was being spread on social media. He also apprised the court about some Twitter and Facebook accounts to support his claim.
He had alleged that many fake accounts had been made to run an hidden campaign against him just weeks before Meesha Shafi’s allegations of sexual harassment in April 2018. All the fake accounts were allegedly connected to Meesha Shafi, he had said.
In the recent FIR, the agency said that Ms Shafi failed to come up with witnesses in her favour in sexual harassment case against Ali Zafar while Leena Ghani refused to appear before the agency and she preferred a written statement which was not found satisfactory.
“Ms Ghani was also found involved in running defamatory campaign against the complainant,” said the FIR, pointing out that Fariha Ayub and Maham Javaid were also summoned four times but they did not join the inquiry. Iffat Omar, the FIR said, sought time to record her statement and she was repeatedly asked but she didn’t turn up.
The FIR stated that Ali Gull also posted derogatory remarks against Zafar. “Ali Gull also didn’t turn up and submitted his statement to the FIA Karachi after he was summoned by the agency,” said the FIR. Gull also failed to satisfy the court. Humna Raza also failed to answer the questions while Haseem-uz-Zaman did not appear before the agency when he was summoned to record his statement, it further said.
It may be mentioned here that defamation suit filed by Meesha Shafi and Ali Zafar are also pending before the court.
The court adjourned till Oct 3 the hearing of defamation suits of both actors against each other.
