It started when Jamshed Mehmood Raza, better known as Jami, who is a celebrated music video, TVC and film director and producer, read a letter on the stage of Lahooti Melo’s fourth edition.
Written by an alleged sexual assault victim, Jami quoted the letter which stated that the girl had been (allegedly) assaulted at the hands of another music video, TVC and film director after meeting him for the first time at Lahooti Melo’s inaugural edition. Her identity was kept anonymous for her safety. She revealed the name of the accused and sent the letter to Saif Samejo after the third edition of Lahooti Melo. The fourth Melo was dedicated to her, as Saif Samejo had told Instep post-event, and to others like her.
Fast forward to the present, and Jami has been sued by filmmaker Sohail Javed who claims that he will not back down from taking a legal route. In a press statement from Sohail Javed’s team, it has been said: “Status quo has been ordered at the second hearing of the 1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Film Maker and Director Sohail Javed against Jami, he has still not filed a reply, rather challenged the maintainability of the case.”
The statement goes further: “Jami had read out a letter from an unknown victim accusing a filmmaker of sexually harassing her in 2016. The letter was read out loud by Jami at the Lahooti Melo, 2019. After that, Jami continuously reposted the letter on his social media. After all the hints given in the letter, once people started naming Javed, Jami did nothing to negate them, let alone clarify or deny it. Instead, he played along, which clearly showed insinuation on his part. It is after this incident that Mr. Javed initiated legal proceedings. Speaking on the matter, in the press statement, noted Sohail Javed, ‘This stunt by Jami Mehmood has brought personal and psychological losses to me and my family, I took the due course by taking the matter to court, than responding back on the social media irresponsibly.’”
The statement further reads: “Javed filed a 1 billion defamatory lawsuit on 9th March, 2019 and has demanded a public apology for insulting him on the same forum he had first spoken about it. Also, the notice demands removal of the posts from his social media accounts. As much as we all hope that the harassment cases are addressed positively, we also hope for the fake accusations to be dealt accordingly. The next date of hearing is 6th April, 2019, and Jami’s reply is still awaited.”
When Instep contacted Jami for a statement, team Jami in a press release noted, “Jami to contest the legal proceedings against him, with full fervour as the Court passed an interim order dated 26.03.2019 for both the parties to maintain status quo.”
The release from team Jami noted further, “The Court on the 5th hearing observed that no one had been named or identified in the social media post under litigation and that the Plaintiff had taken it upon himself to institute proceedings against Jami.
Despite the counsel for the plaintiff vehemently arguing the removal of the subject post, the court was pleased to direct the parties to maintain status quo.
We have full faith in our justice system, and the court order further instils our faith in the sanctity of truth. This is just the beginning of our fight for the countless victims of sexual abuse who suffer in silence. The victims have reposed their faith in the Court after yesterday’s Court Order and they are now coming forward in public and will also now initiate their own legal proceedings against their predator. Moreover, truth is a defence to defamation and we will take this opportunity provided to us by Sohail Javed to unveil the truth in the legal proceedings initiated against Jami. We will further continue to fight for a just, safe and an inclusive Pakistan’.”
– This is a developing story