SC hears Meesha Shafi plea: trial court directed to decide Ali Zafar defamation case without delay

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the trial court to decide defamation case of Ali Zafar against the allegations by Meesha Shafi of sexual harassment without any further delay. A two-member bench comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Qazi Faez Isa heard the application of Meesha Shafi against the Lahore High Court decision.
The court directed Ali Zafar's counsel to file the witnesses' affidavits within a week, while the Meesha Shafi's lawyer was asked to prepare for cross-examination and try to cross-examine all the witnesses in one day. The court barred both Meesha and Ali Zafar from filing unnecessary applications against each other. The trial court is directed to dispose of the case without delay.
Meesha Shafi's counsel contended that the witnesses are the employees of Ali Zafar. This claim was denied by Zafar's lawyer who said his client does not know the witnesses, adding that none of witnesses is Ali Zafar's employee. Justice Qazi Faez inquired what the contention between the two parties is.
Ali Zafar's counsel said, according to the law, the statements and cross-examination should be done the same day. However, Justice Faez remarked that it is the court's authority to record the statement and cross-examination the same day. Shafi, who is fighting a defamation case filed by Zafar over allegations of sexual harassment, had earlier approached a trial court and later the high court, noting that failure to conduct the witnesses' testimonies and their cross-examination in separate hearings "would be amounting to extending undue favour to the plaintiff."
Both the courts had turned down Shafi's petitions, with the LHC said that the request was "devoid of any merit" as the defendant was cognisant of the witnesses' names and has had reasonable time to prepare for cross-examination. In April 2018, Meesha had accused singer Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. While the Aya Lariye singer took to the social media to make her voice heard, Zafar responded with legal advances, announcing he would be taking a professional route on the matter. Soon after, Zafar filed the under-discussion defamation case against the starlet that still remains under trial.