LHC declines to suspend Ali Zafar defamation ruling

The Lahore High Court has declined to suspend a defamation judgment in favour of Pakistani singer and actor Ali Zafar in his case against fellow singer Meesha Shafi. A division bench, in an order issued on 4 May 2026, granted only limited interim relief to Shafi concerning the damages awarded by the trial court. The court said 50% of the decretal amount would have to be deposited with the Deputy Registrar (Judicial), while a surety bond would have to be furnished for the remaining 50% within two months for the limited suspension of the decree to take effect. The appeal against the trial court's judgment remains pending. The dispute began in 2018, when Shafi publicly accused Zafar of sexual harassment. He denied the allegation and subsequently filed a defamation case against her. In March 2026, a trial court partially allowed Zafar's defamation suit. It found that the allegations against him were false and defamatory and that they had not been made for the public good. The court also issued an injunction restraining Shafi from repeating the allegations. Shafi challenged the judgment before the Lahore High Court and sought a suspension of the decree while her appeal was being heard. The High Court did not grant the blanket suspension sought by her. Instead, its interim order dealt specifically with the damages component and attached conditions to any suspension. The order does not amount to a final decision on Shafi's appeal. The High Court is yet to examine the appeal on its merits. The trial court's findings and injunction therefore remain part of the existing judgment while the appeal is pending.   Dispute over conditions A further issue concerns whether the conditions attached to the interim relief were fulfilled. Zafar's side has maintained that the two-month period expired without Shafi depositing the required amount or furnishing the surety bond. If that position is upheld, the conditional suspension of the damages component would not have taken effect. The High Court's eventual decision on the appeal will determine whether the trial court's judgment is upheld, modified or overturned. Neither the admission of the appeal nor the limited interim relief granted by the High Court should be treated as a final determination of the underlying dispute. Alongside his acting and singing career, Ali Zafar participates in tours, concerts, and stage shows, is active in humanitarian work, and has a number of endorsement deals. On 23 March 2021, he was awarded the highest literary award, Pride of Performance, for his contribution in the field of arts and music.