Dawn
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18:14 May 04, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday partially suspended a lower court verdict in a defamation case filed by singer-cum-actor Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi, to the extent of damages payment. The court, however, maintained Shafi would remain barred from repeating the allegations of sexual harassment against Zafar. As an interim relief, the bench suspended the trial court’s decision to the extent of the damages only. The LHC allowed Shafi to deposit half of the amount of damages with the court and furnish a surety bond for the remaining amount instead of making the payment to Zafar. The decision came on an appeal filed by Shafi following a sessions court order in March, in which she was directed to pay Zafar Rs5 million in damages for levelling allegations of sexual harassment against him. The lower court had ruled that the allegations had “not been proved to be true or made for public good, and thus constitute actionable defamation”. Subsequently, Shafi challenged the civil decree in the LHC. Her app...