Meesha Shafi seeks stay on defamation suit

LAHORE : Singer Meesha Shafi who is facing a defamation suit against her filed by singer cum actor Ali Zafar has sought stay on suit proceedings till the final decision of the FIR which Ali Zafar got registered against her and her witnesses.

Meesha Shafi Saturday filed an application in a court contending that the FIR is a blatant attempt to silence the witnesses of the defendant at a critical stage of the trial when defendant is producing her witnesses.

She said that the case is on the stage of recording of evidence and a false and frivolous FIR has been registered against her and eight others including four of her witnesses including Leena Ghani, Maham Javaid, Humna Raza and Iffat Omer.

She contended that her witnesses Leena Ghani and Humna Raza both have personally experienced sexual harassment from the hands of the plaintiff Ali Zafar. And both the witnesses have stated that Ali Zafar had also sexually harassed them.

She wants both the above witnesses to be produced before the court to show that she is not alone in making allegations of sexual harassment against the plaintiff but there are others also who have spoken against him, Meesha added.

But after the registration of the FIR, the above said witnesses feel further harassed and intimated and attempts are being made to silence them or to make contradictory statements from the statement which they had made earlier.

It is pertinent to mention here one of the key witness of the defendant who had made a statement that she was also harassed by the plaintiff has recently issued an apology on social media.

Meesha alleged that the FIR is an attempt not just to harass and silence the defendant and her witnesses but also amounts to an abuse of the process of law which would prejudice the trial of the case. She submitted that the defendant’s right to fair trial under Article 10-A of the constitution will be severely impaired if her witnesses are unable to narrate the truth freely and without pressure on account of the harassment and intimidation from the FIA and the plaintiff.