Lahore, March 31, 2026: A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday ruled in favor of singer Ali Zafar in his long-running defamation lawsuit against Meesha Shafi, directing her to pay Rs5 million in damages.
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The case, which has spanned over eight years, originated after Meesha accused Zafar of sexual harassment in 2018. Zafar filed a defamation claim seeking Rs1 billion, asserting that Shafi’s allegations were baseless and had caused significant damage to his reputation, livelihood, and goodwill.
Additional Sessions Judge Asif Hayat delivered the verdict, declaring that Meesha’s accusations were defamatory. During the trial, the court heard 20 witnesses over 283 hearings, with nine judges presiding over the case at different stages. Both parties presented their closing arguments during the final session.
Earlier, the trial court had imposed a gag order in January 2019, which was upheld by the Lahore High Court. Meesha had also approached the Supreme Court challenging the LHC order, with the apex court combining her petition with a suo motu notice related to defining sexual harassment.
Ali Zafar’s legal team, led by Rana Intizar, argued that Meesha’s 2018 tweets were “false, slanderous, and defamatory,” urging the court to hold her accountable for harming his professional and personal reputation.
