The case has now been transferred to Additional Session Judge Amjad Ali Shah.
Lahore (Pakistan Point News – 8th May, 2019) The Sessions Court in Lahore has accepted singer Meesha Shafi’s petition to change the judge hearing defamation case against her.
Sessions Judge Arif Nawaz has ordered to immediately shift Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha to another court.
Sessions judge said that the court will soon decide about the case.
The case has now been transferred to Additional Session Judge Amjad Ali Shah.
The judge will hear the case on May 11.
Singer Meesha Shafi had filed a no confidence application in the additional district judge with the sessions judge for being biased towards the co-star.
She had 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".
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear singer Meesha Shafi’s petition in the defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar on May 9, Thursday.
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.
