The Lahore High Court has conditionally suspended a sessions court decision directing singer Meesha Shafi to pay Rs5 million in damages to Ali Zafar in a defamation case linked to sexual harassment allegations.
Justice Ahmed Nadeem Arshad heard Meesha Shafi’s appeal in the Lahore High Court. Advocate Saqib Jilani appeared before the court on behalf of Meesha Shafi.
The court issued a notice to Ali Zafar on Meesha Shafi’s appeal and sought his response.
The court directed that Meesha Shafi must deposit half of the damages amount in court. The remaining amount will be deposited through a short bond or in installments, according to the court’s order.
Request to suspend full trial court decision
Meesha Shafi’s lawyer requested the court to suspend the entire decision of the trial court. However, the Lahore High Court rejected the request.
The court said it could not suspend the part of the trial court’s decision that prevents Meesha Shafi from making sexual harassment allegations again.
In its remarks, the court said the trial court had barred Meesha Shafi from repeating sexual harassment allegations in its decision. It said it could not suspend that part of the trial court’s ruling.
The court further observed that it could not allow anyone to make sexual harassment allegations again under the suspended order.
Sessions court had upheld Ali Zafar’s claim
Earlier, the sessions court had upheld Ali Zafar’s claim in the defamation case. The lower court ordered Meesha Shafi to pay Rs5 million in damages.
Ali Zafar had filed the defamation claim against Meesha Shafi over allegations of sexual harassment.
In her appeal, Meesha Shafi maintained that singer Ali Zafar had sexually harassed her. The appeal stated that the trial court wrote in its decision that Meesha Shafi could not prove the allegations.
However, the appeal argued that if Meesha Shafi could not prove the allegations, Ali Zafar also could not prove that he did not harass her.
Meesha's appeal also mentioned that she had approached the provincial ombudsman over the sexual harassment allegations. It said Meesha Shafi’s challenge against the provincial ombudsman’s decision is pending before the Supreme Court.
It argued that Ali Zafar’s claim could not be filed until the Supreme Court gives its final decision.
Appeal seeks annulment of damages order
Meesha Shafi’s appeal claimed that the sessions court did not properly examine the facts of the case. The plea asked the Lahore High Court to annul the trial court’s decision awarding Rs5 million in damages.
The case will continue after Ali Zafar submits his response to the notice issued by the court.
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