Zulfi Bukhari, former Pakistani Minister, wins libel and harassment case
Following a 4-day trial, the High Court has handed down judgment in Zulfi Bukhari’s libel and harassment claim against his cousin, Tauqeer Bukhari. The Court awarded Zulfi Bukhari £40,000 in damages for libel and £3,000 for his harassment claim.
Zulfi Bukhari, who was a Special Assistant to former Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was subjected to a sustained twitter campaign between September 2019 and March 2020, which was described by Deputy High Court Judge Aidan Eardley KC, as a “relentless torrent of abuse”.
The judgement is of particular interest for the way in which the Court addressed the harassment of the Claimant in circumstances in which he had spent very limited time in England and Wales, over the relevant period. The Court concluded that it could take into account all of the Defendant’s tweets and videos, as constituting a course of conduct, and not just those which were posted/seen by the Claimant when he was within the jurisdiction. The Claimant’s limited presence in the jurisdiction was, however, something which the court then took into account in determining the level of damages to be awarded for harassment.
David Lemer acted for Zulfi Bukhari. He was instructed by Ushrat Sultana and Junaid Ayyaz of Stone White Solicitors.
Press coverage of the case can be found below:
