Ali Zafar’s Defamation Suit An Attempt To Divert Attention From Harassment: Meesha’s Lawyer

(@mahnoorsheikh03)

Ali Zafar’s defamation suit an attempt to divert attention from harassment: Meesha’s lawyer

Ali Zafar’s legal notice asked Meesha to apologize and pay Rs1 billion in damages for levelling baseless allegations

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 26th June, 2018) Actor and singer Meesha Shafi’s lawyer has responded to the defamation suit filed by Ali Zafar against his client asking her to apologize for levelling baseless allegations against him and pay Rs1 billion in damages.

Meesha’s lawyer Muhammad Ahmad Pansota said that the defamation case initiated by Ali Zafar is an unsavoury attempt to divert attention from the main issue of harassment.

“@itsmeeshashafi’s claim of sexual harassment against Ali Zafar is pending adjudication before the competent forum. The defamation case initiated by Ali Zafar, after finding out about Meesha’s claim, is an unsavoury attempt to divert attention from the main issue of harassment,” Pansota said in his tweet on Monday.

Earlier in the day, a Sessions court in Lahore asked Meesha Shafi to submit her reply by July 5 in the Rs1 billion defamation case filed against her by fellow artist Ali Zafar.

The hearing, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Shehzad Ahmed, Ali Zafar's counsel argued that his client was "subjected to baseless allegations of harassment for publicity", which has impacted his image across the globe.

The court, while directing her to file a response by July 5, restrained her from "making any derogatory remarks" against Ali Zafar "in any manner on print or electronic or social media".

Singer and actor Ali Zafar had sent a legal notice to co-artist Meesha Shafi for her sexual harassment allegations on June 23.

The Teefa in Trouble star filed a defamation suit in a court in Lahore through his lawyer, asking for an apology from Meesha Shafi for levelling baseless allegations and pay Rs1 billion in damages.

He had earlier sent a legal notice of Rs100 million to Meesha Shafi for making false sexual harassment accusations against. According to the notice, a defamation suit had to be filed against Meesha upon her failure to issue an apology to Ali on electronic media within two weeks.

Meesha had also sent a legal notice to Ali Zafar in her reply to his notice. The notice was reportedly sent by Meesha’s legal team. The notice stated that the allegations made on Ali are true and there is no plot behind them. Meesha said in her notice that Ali harassed her at work. The notice demanded the singer to apologize to Meesha, confess to his mistakes and take back his legal notice.

Singer Meesha Shafi had alleged her colleague Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in a tweet last month.

Meesha said that she is sharing this because she believes that by speaking out about her own experience of sexual harassment, she will break the culture of silence that permeates through our society.

Using the #Metoo hashtag, Shafi added that it is not easy to speak out but it is harder to stay silent. “My conscience will not allow it anymore,” she added.

Ali Zafar had broken his silence on the matter when he had categorically denied all claims of harassment lodged against him.

Mahnoor Sheikh

The writer is News Editor, Pakistan Point. She has graduated in Mass Communication and has worked in various media houses