One of the hottest topics in the Pakistani entertainment industry nowadays is the sexual harassment allegation Meesha Shafi made against Ali Zafar.
People from almost all walks of life have been pretty polarized by this event; either side stands by their celebrity. The news was soon followed by Ali Zafar announcing that he would sue Meesha for defamation unless she brought relevant proof or apologized.
After a few months of silence from either celebrity, Ali Zafar’s legal team officially lodged their suit against Meesha Shafi. Ali Zafar sued Meesha for PKR 1 billion!
Actor Ali Zafar files 1 billion defamation suit against singer Meesha Shafi, who accused him of sexual harassment https://t.co/DAQ1IeW5aL pic.twitter.com/8h6Yq8RXNd
— NDTV (@ndtv) June 25, 2018
As news of Ali Zafar’s lawsuit began to circulate, Meesha and her team still kept mute, until yeterday, a member of Meesha’s legal team, Nighat Dad, spoke out against the lawsuit and Ali Zafar
Earlier in the day, the Sessions Court heard the case for the first time. Nighat began by taking a pretty strong stance regarding the premise of the defamation suit. According to her, Meesha, her team and the women who spoke out against Ali Zafar stood on the right side of history.
Defamation law applies when it’s a lie, truth is a defense to defamation! In this case it’s being used as a silencing tool. Women who came out with their stories and harassment claims are on the right side of history and they are the ones making history! https://t.co/QCqMjFeC8M
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) June 25, 2018
She went to clarify that her client had, in fact, filed charges against Ali Zafar
Cases of such nature aren’t meant to be discussed openly, furthermore, the hearing for this case has yet to begin
Just so you all know Meesha has filed sexual harassment case against AZ several weeks ago, it’s pending before the relevant forum and proceedings are taking place. Under the Anti workplace harassment law proceedings are supposed to be confidential, so wait and watch this space.
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) June 25, 2018
Lastly, Nighat took apart the argument that people who stand with Ali Zafar are using
The term ‘cheap publicity’ was used by Ali Zafar’s legal team when they appeared in court today for the first time regarding this case.
Also the argument around Cheap publicity is very cheap, usual argument used by alleged harassers when nothing is working out for them Also soon someone is coming to a screen near you in full glory but not the one who is ‘in trouble’ 😁💪🏾🙌🏽 #Adaab
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) June 25, 2018
Earlier yesterday, the Sessions Court heard the case for the first time. Both sides presented their arguments in front of the judge, Shehzad Ahmed. According to Zafar’s team, the allegations are baseless, and furthermore, that the allegations made by Shafi were dismissed by the legal body that overlooks women’s safety and harassment in the workplace.
Ali Zafar was successful in getting a stay order in his favor; this basically means that Meesha Shafi cannot, legally, post anything defamatory statements against Ali Zafar across any medium, online or offline.
According to multiple news sources, the next hearing will be somewhere in July.
Meesha Shafi Has Accused Ali Zafar Of Sexual Harassment And Just Like, WTF