Overview
- A Lahore sessions court ruled that Meesha Shafi’s 2018 social media post and a later interview were defamatory, awarding Ali Zafar 5 million Pakistani rupees and permanently barring her from repeating the allegations.
- Shafi’s lawyer, Nighat Dad, said the team will appeal to the High Court, arguing the trial court misread the evidence and overlooked key context.
- Other cases tied to the dispute continue, including Shafi’s workplace harassment complaint now before the Supreme Court and cybercrime proceedings under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.
- Women’s rights groups such as Aurat March criticized the decision and warned it could discourage people from reporting sexual harassment.
- After the verdict, Shafi shared poetic posts on Instagram about resilience and recovery and said she intends to focus on healing and her craft.