A Pakistani court has ruled in favor of actor Ali Zafar in a high-profile defamation lawsuit against singer Meesha Shafi. Shafi had originally accused Zafar of sexual harassment in 2018, a landmark case that became a foundational pillar of Pakistan’s #MeToo movement. The court determined that Shafi’s allegations were unproven and constituted actionable defamation, explicitly ordering her to cease repeating the claims. Shafi’s legal representation plans to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, Shafi’s legal team warn that this ruling sets a dangerous precedent that could silence future survivors of sexual harassment by weaponizing defamation laws against them.
Date: April 1, 2026. Source: aljazeera.com