So you all know by now that Meesah Shafi and Ali Zafar are embroiled in a legal case. Meesha Shafi had appealed to the Governor of Punjab against Ali Zafar, using the ‘Protection Against Harassment Of Women At The Workplace Act 2010’ as the governing law.
News broke this afternoon that the Governor of Punjab had rejected Meesha’s case.
According to Meesha’s legal team, this rejection is based on a very technical issue. Speaking to the media, one of Meesha’s lawyers, Ahmed Pansota, said that the law states that both parties need to be in an employee-employer relationship. Since this particular case was not as such a nature, the case couldn’t be heard by the Governor’s office.
Ali Zafar’s legal team also released a statement. According to them, Meesha was not in a situation where she was forced to enter a working relationship with Ali Zafar.
Adding to this, his team also said that the rejection came in some days back, however, they did not want this to distract from Ali Zafar’s movie premiere, therefore, this news is coming out now.
Apparently, the case reached the office of the Governor of Punjab as the Ombudsman with whom they had initially filed the case with did not find the grounds for harassment in the workplace. With this new rejection coming through, Meesha’s legal team is planning on taking the case to a higher court.
Given the current Pakistani legal system, does this rejection mean that no matter what happens, Meesha can’t win this battle?
The law has the ability to be both objective and subjective, but that totally depends on the person reading the law. How you define the ‘workplace’ in the entertainment industry is very different than how it is defined in a conventional ‘9-5’ sense. Today’s news just goes to show how rigid our legal system is.
People on Twitter have a lot to say about this:
Meesha Shafi (and 7 other women) : Ali Zafar physically harassed me.
Public : ‘proOoofss, let court decide.’
Courts : We don’t care unless the women are employed by the abuser.
Be afraid women,
Be very afraid.THIS IS WHY #metoo exists. And is not going anywhere. #timesup
— nehasaigol (@nehasaigol1) August 1, 2018
A lot of people felt cheated by the rejection
https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=meesha%20shafi
Questions were raised
Punjab Governor tells @itsmeeshashafi there’s no law to protect her from sexual harassment at the workplace as under the current law she can’t ask for protection from @AliZafarsays harassing her. What law applies to this case then, Mr Governor? #TimesUphttps://t.co/koHJJk4ocN
— Usama Khilji (@UsamaKhilji) August 1, 2018
There was just a discontent surrounding this news
Governor Punjab dismisses Meesha’s case based on a technicality. May God protect the women who want to speak up in this country. #MeToo https://t.co/8ShXMuduRg
— Mahwash Ajaz (@mahwashajaz_) August 1, 2018
People were just not happy
meesha shafi's case has been dismissed on a technicality. imagine the trauma
— s (@xofrompakistan) August 1, 2018
Same. Question.
A victim of sexual harassment files her case with:
1. Ombudsperson – DISMISSED
2. Governor – DISMISSED
Where exactly does one go for a non-dismissal ruling when seeking justice?@itsmeeshashafi #MeToohttps://t.co/kpyOKo3pkL— Faria Salman 🇬🇧🇵🇰 (@FariaSalman1) August 1, 2018
This is honestly just really sad
Punjab governor dismisses Meesha Shafi’s sexual harassment appeal against Ali Zafar https://t.co/9yr3Wcej2V
I've lost all hope for women in Pakistan #Teefaistrouble #metoo— Minsie (@menahil_shahid) August 1, 2018
Many people online have declared this a win for Ali Zafar and his team, thereby only fueling more of the fire and hatred that persists surrounding Meesha Shafi and her allegations. What happens about this case is still yet to be seen. There is no denying that the grounds over which this case has been thrown out were far too technical and unfair.
Here’s hoping justice prevails.
What do you think about all of this? Let us know in the comments 🙂