LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has granted partial relief to singer Meesha Shafi by conditionally suspending the part of a sessions court verdict that directed her to pay Rs5 million in damages to singer and actor Ali Zafar in a defamation case.
The order was passed on Monday, May 4, 2026, during the hearing of Meesha Shafi’s appeal against the trial court’s decision. The High Court suspended the damages order only to the extent of payment, meaning the financial recovery of Rs5 million has been put on hold for now, subject to conditions.
Under the LHC’s conditional relief, Meesha Shafi has been directed to deposit Rs2.5 million in cash with the court and submit surety bonds for the remaining Rs2.5 million. This means the payment has not been permanently cancelled; instead, its enforcement has been paused while the appeal is pending before the High Court.
However, the court did not suspend the entire verdict of the sessions court. The restriction imposed on Meesha Shafi, barring her from repeating harassment allegations against Ali Zafar, will remain in force during the appeal proceedings.
The legal dispute dates back to 2018, when Meesha Shafi publicly accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. Zafar denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit the same year, claiming that the accusations had damaged his reputation, career and public standing. The original defamation suit reportedly sought Rs1 billion in damages.
On March 31, 2026, a Lahore sessions court ruled in Ali Zafar’s favour and ordered Meesha Shafi to pay Rs5 million in damages. The court also restrained her from repeating the allegations on any platform. Reports said the court recorded statements of 20 witnesses, including 13 from Ali Zafar’s side and seven from Meesha Shafi’s side, before issuing its decision.
Meesha Shafi later challenged the sessions court verdict before the Lahore High Court. In her appeal, she sought to have the trial court’s decision declared unlawful and set aside. Her side also argued that the defamation ruling was premature because related harassment proceedings are still pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The latest LHC order is therefore a partial and conditional suspension, not a final decision on the appeal. The High Court has only paused the payment of damages under specific conditions, while other parts of the trial court ruling remain operative.
