SHC orders removal of defamatory content against Mehwish Hayat from social media

KARACHI – After Kubra Khan, Lollywood diva Mehwish Hayat has taken legal action against YouTuber Adil Raja over the defamatory content he shared online.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the authorities concerned to take down scandalous content against Hayat across all social media platforms.

Initially, the London Nahi Jaunga star approached the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing, asking it to look into the matter. However, due to a lack of progress she approached the Sindh High Court (SHC). A petition was filed in the SHC by Hayat that reads that the 35-year-old actress is “aggrieved by a social media storm generated and precipitating due to certain videos made by an individual by the name Adil Farooq Raja who claims to be a self-professed ‘geopolitical analyst’ and ‘rights activist’ maintaining a YouTube channel by the name of Soldier Speaks as well as a Twitter handle by the name Soldier Speaks”.

She called the allegations levelled by Raja “blatantly false, derogatory, defamatory, malicious, incendiary, dangerous [and] sensationalising” and said they “degrad[ed]” the four "top models and actresses" he mentioned with their initials in his video.

Her petition stated that after the livestream, several social media users on Twitter and Instagram started superimposing Hayat’s pictures as well as those of other actors whose initials were uttered by Raja. She argued that Raja spelled out Hayat’s name initials M and H in the video and “certain social media users intentionally with an interest to malign state institutions and to malign the reputation of the petitioner launched a social media campaign on such a video aired by Mr Raja.”

Mehwish Hayat moves court against smear campaign

Hayat has petitioned the court under sections 11 (hate speech), 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person), 21 (offences against modesty of a natural person and minor) and 37 (unlawful online content) of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

In her petition, the Dillagi star asked for six areas of relief from the court — that the court direct the FIA to take immediate action on her complaints, that it direct the FIA to inquire and take action as per the law against the users mentioned in the petition and for the court to declare that the FIA’s inaction in the interim period is in derogation of the duties cast upon them by PECA, 2016.

She also says “the Honourable Court may be pleased to direct the official Respondents/FIA to conclude their inquiries and pass appropriate orders for the prosecution of such individuals, including but not limited to the users mentioned in Para 6 hereinabove, and others as are found to have contravened the provision of PECA, 2016, by damaging the reputation, modesty and dignity of the petitioner through the use of social media platforms as well as causing harm to national integrity and state institutions.” 

The SHC ordered the FIA to remove the content that maligns Hayat and issued two-week notices to the FIA and PTA regarding the defamation case. Speaking to the media outside the court, Hayat said she hopes the people who defamed her are held accountable for their actions.

Unarguably one of the leading Pakistani superstars, Hayat rose to fame in Meray Katil Meray Dildar and earned nominations for best actress for Kami Reh Gai. Some of her noted works include Phir Chand Pe Dastak, Dil Lagi, Na Maloom Afraad, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Actor in Law and Punjab Nahi Jaungi.

Kubra Khan to join FIA-led probe in defamation case against YouTuber Adil Raja