It’s been more than a year since Meesha Shafi accused Ali Zafar of sexually harassing her on multiple occasions. While the accusations sparked a much-needed debate on the subject, it also divided the industry.
From the very beginning, Ali denied all allegations and accused Meesha of defamation. The matter was taken to the Federal Ombudsperson For Protection Against Harassment at Workplace, but Meesha’s case was dismissed on technical grounds as a “workplace relationship” could not be established.
According to Ali, the appeal was also dismissed, but Meesha’s lawyer says that the matter is pending before the Lahore High Court (LHC).
After Meesha’s harassment case was dismissed, Ali filed a defamation suit against her. He demanded Rs1 billion in damages and the case is currently being heard by a Lahore sessions court.
Ali, in a media interaction on Saturday, said that Meesha and her team have not been appearing in the court and are using delaying tactics. He said that his witnesses have come to the court multiple times but the case has not progressed.
According to sources, Ali has about 22 witnesses while Meesha has only 18.
“I can’t say anything about her intentions, God knows better. But it was a proper plan to target me for personal gains,” Ali said. “Was I targeted because she’s shifting to Canada and wants international recognition? Does she want to be Malala?”
Meanwhile, Meesha’s lawyers refuted Ali’s claims, saying that Meesha has not yet been summoned and her legal team has been appearing in court. It merits a mention here that the court recently fined Meesha and her team Rs10,000/- for no show.
Meesha has also been served a gag order by the court which means she cannot talk about the case in public.