Overview
- Justice Ahmed Nadeem Arshad dismissed Meesha Shafi’s petition challenging the restraint on her public statements.
- The court held that judges may restrict parties’ statements in defamation matters to protect fair-trial rights and the judicial process.
- The speech restraint stems from a January 24, 2019 trial court order barring Shafi from commenting across media, including social platforms.
- Ali Zafar filed the suit in 2018 under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, seeking Rs1 billion in damages over Shafi’s sexual-harassment allegations.
- The directive imposes a firm deadline on the long-running case after years of delays, including proceedings previously linked with a Supreme Court matter.