LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday conditionally suspended a trial court’s decision against singer Meesha Shafi to the extent of payment of Rs5m to singer-cum-actor Ali Zafar in a defamation case, while maintaining restrictions on her from repeating harassment allegations against him.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad, heard Ms Shafi’s appeal against the sessions court verdict passed on March 31. Justice Malik Waqar Haider Awan was the other member of the bench.

During the proceedings, her counsel, Saqib Jillani, sought suspension of the impugned judgment and offered to deposit one-third of the damages amount in cash. The bench turned down the request for partial payment, directing that the full amount should be deposited.

However, on further request, the bench ordered Shafi to deposit Rs2.5m in cash with the LHC and furnish a surety bond worth Rs2.5m. As an interim relief, the bench suspended the trial court’s decision to the extent of the damages.

The bench observed that the remaining impugned verdict and a restriction imposed by the trial court—barring Shafi from making allegations of harassment against Zafar—would remain in force.

It also issued a notice to Zafar and adjourned the hearing.

Zafar’s counsel Umar Tariq Gill, present in the court, received the notice.

The sessions court had earlier ordered Shafi to pay Rs5m in damages for levelling harassment allegations against Zafar, holding that the accusations were not made in the public interest.

“The defendant is further permanently restrained from repeating, publishing, or causing to be published, directly or indirectly, the aforesaid defamatory allegations of sexual harassment of a physical nature against the plaintiff, in any form of media, including print, electronic or social media,” the judgement added.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2026