New Vision TV apologises to singer, actor and campaigner Meesha Shafi in settlement of Defamation case
New Vision TV Limited (“NVTV”) has broadcast an apology to renowned Pakistani-Canadian actress, singer and womens’ rights campaigner Meesha Shafi, in settlement of her long-running defamation claim against the UK broadcaster of ARY news, one of Pakistan’s most watched news channels.
In 2018 Ms Shafi, who made her film debut in the Reluctant Fundamentalist and in April this year was announced as Spotify Pakistan’s EQUAL Pakistan ambassador, accused Pakistani singer-song writer and actor Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. That accusation, made at the height of the #MeToo movement, led to Zafar bringing his own defamation claim against Ms Shafi, and heralded the start of a series of court cases between the two, which continue to date.
On 5th December 2020 NVTV aired a broadcast that created an inaccurate perception in respect to Ms Shafi’s attendance at court in Pakistan. At a Preliminary Issue Trial on 4th December 2023, Mr Justice Johnson found that the broadcast had asserted that Ms Shafi had been deliberately ignoring Pakistani court orders relating to the defamation proceedings filed by Mr Zafar, over the course of two years.
David Lemer represented Ms Shafi and was instructed by Ushrat Sultana and Tanzila Ayyaz of Stone White Solicitors. Jonathan Barnes KC, instructed by Gresham Law, represented NVTV.
Press coverage of the case can be found below:
