LONDON – Renowned singer Meesha Shafi has won a defamation case in the United Kingdom against New Vision TV (NVTV), the UK broadcaster of ARY News, over a 2020 broadcast that falsely accused her of repeatedly defying court orders in Pakistan.
The channel has since issued an on-air apology and agreed to an out-of-court settlement. In its apology, NVTV acknowledged that the broadcast led to a “misunderstanding” and stated:
“We are sorry if our broadcast caused Meesha Shafi any distress.”
The case centered on a December 5, 2020 broadcast aired by ARY UK, which claimed that Shafi had deliberately avoided complying with Pakistani court proceedings related to the ongoing legal dispute with singer and actor Ali Zafar. In 2023, a UK High Court found that these claims amounted to defamation.
Court Ruling
The court noted that the broadcast portrayed Shafi as:
“Someone who does not comply with legal requirements laid down by a court and engages in such behaviour repeatedly.”
The offending broadcast stated:
“She [Shafi] came to Pakistan, did her work and left. Singer Meesha Shafi threw the court orders to the winds. She came to Pakistan, recorded a song and then returned to Canada. She did not present herself in court. Ali Zafar has filed a defamation lawsuit against Meesha.”
In its judgment, the court observed:
“Such an assertion would lower the claimant in the estimation of right-thinking people… particularly given her public role as an advocate for women’s rights. The seriousness threshold for defamation was met.”
Background of the Case
Shafi made headlines in 2018 when she accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment, making her one of the most prominent voices in Pakistan’s #MeToo movement. In response, Zafar filed a Rs1 billion defamation lawsuit against her, which Shafi countered with her own defamation case.
Her original sexual harassment complaint was dismissed in 2019 by the Lahore High Court, which ruled that the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 did not apply in her case. However, in 2021, the Supreme Court of Pakistan agreed to review whether her allegations fall under the 2010 law.
A Landmark for Reputation Rights
The UK court’s ruling marks a significant moment in Shafi’s ongoing legal journey and highlights the importance of media accountability, particularly in high-profile cases involving public figures and sensitive social issues.
Legal experts say the case may also set a precedent for defamation cases involving Pakistani media outlets operating abroad.
