LONDON – Singer and rights activist Meesha Shafi secured high-profile defamation case against ARY UK’s broadcaster, New Vision TV (NVTV), in a legal battle that ended with a formal apology aired on British media.
The case stemmed from 2020 broadcast on ARY UK, which accused Meesha Shafi of willfully defying Pakistani court orders over two years. In 2023, the UK High Court ruled the broadcast as defamatory, stating that it wrongly portrayed Shafi as a lawbreaker who consistently ignored judicial directives.
In an out-of-court settlement, the UK based channel admitted blunder and issued public apology, acknowledging that its broadcast may have caused “misunderstanding” and “mental distress” to the singer. “If our broadcast caused any distress to Ms. Shafi, we sincerely apologize,” the channel stated.
The court noted that the content of the broadcast could seriously harm Shafi’s reputation in eyes of masses, especially as she is widely recognized in Pakistan as a prominent figure and a vocal supporter of women’s rights. A segment of the broadcast submitted to the court alleged that Meesha came to Pakistan “to record a song” while deliberately evading court proceedings. The court held such remarks as capable of tarnishing her public image.
The defamation case is one chapter in the long-standing legal standoff between Meesha Shafi and singer-actor Ali Zafar. In 2018, Shafi accused Zafar of sexual harassment—an allegation that ignited Pakistan’s #MeToo movement. Zafar responded with a Rs. 1 billion defamation lawsuit, followed by Shafi’s Rs. 2 billion countersuit.
Meesha Shafi admits submitting false statement in harassment case against Ali Zafar
