UK Court Backs Meesha Shafi’s Defamation

News Desk

London: A London High Court ruled in favour of Meesha Shafi, a prominent rockstar in Pakistan, in her defamation case against NVTV, a UK broadcaster associated with ARY.

The London High Court ruled that the channel defamed her significantly in broadcasts regarding her harassment case against singer Ali Zafar. These broadcasts alleged she disobeyed court orders in Pakistan by returning to Canada after recording songs for Coke Studio instead of attending court proceedings.

During the December 5, 2020 broadcast, NVTV showcased various visuals and tickers repeating defamatory statements. They implied that Shafi, despite being summoned by the Lahore Sessions Court over Zafar’s defamation allegations, disregarded court orders by returning to Canada after recording songs in Pakistan.

The legal battle stemmed from Shafi’s accusations of sexual harassment against Zafar during the #MeToo movement in April 2018. Despite ongoing litigation between them, Zafar was not involved in the UK civil case.

The Royal Court of Justice determined that NVTV’s statements portrayed Shafi as intentionally disregarding court orders, a claim found defamatory. The judge highlighted that while suggesting someone failed to comply with court orders might not always be defamatory, in this case, NVTV’s broadcasts went beyond a mere technicality, significantly damaging Shafi’s reputation.

Shafi’s lawyer emphasized her extensive career and standing as a Pakistani-Canadian personality with a vast following globally. The broadcasts painted a false image of Shafi as someone evading legal obligations, contrary to her consistent compliance with court notices and active engagement in the legal process.

The court ruled in Shafi’s favor for the preliminary trial, signaling further proceedings to determine the case’s direction. Prior to this victory, Shafi had raised complaints with Pakistan’s media regulator, PEMRA, represented by her legal team led by Nighat Dad.

Dad highlighted how the UK court’s ruling exposed the malicious campaigns run by TV channels against Shafi without accountability, echoing her prior success in challenging a private TV channel’s actions through PEMRA.