Ali Zafar terms sexual harassment claims 'organised plot' that caused mental anguish

LAHORE: Singer Ali Zafar on Monday termed peer Meesha Shafi's claims of sexual harassment against him an "organised plot" that caused him mental anguish and financial damage.

Zafar appeared in a hearing of the Rs1-billion defamation case he had filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002 against Shafi almost a year ago. In the notice, he had said the model-singer damaged his reputation through false allegations.

In a hearing presided by Additional Session Judge Amjad Ali Shah, Zafar recorded his statement as the petitioner, denying all allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.

Speaking to media after the hearing, Zafar reiterated that the sexual harassment claims "were part of an organised plot and conspiracy.

"Fake accounts [on social media] were used to launch a campaign against me," Zafar said, terming the allegations of sexual misconduct a "conspiracy".

"We will submit all proofs and evidence in the court and we will submit more in future … We are submitting all proofs and evidence in the court.

Zafar presented a box of evidence — containing messages, agreements, pictures, documents, and social media posts — in the court. He also submitted copies of social media posts that were allegedly threatening to him.

"All of this is based on lies. Only time will tell whether she [Meesha Shafi] comes to the court or not but time will also tell what happened behind what transpired and what elements are involved," he stressed.

In April, women's rights lawyer Nighat Dad, who is part of the legal team representing Shafi, had said her client "has not been called by the court as of yet" but "will go once court will direct her to" appear.

Stating in the court that the sexual harassment claims caused him mental anguish and financial damage, the singer said: "An organised plot was launched to target me before my film was released.

"Each of the people running a campaign against me is directly linked to Meesha and her representatives," Zafar further claimed.

"Meesha Shafi, prior to one TV show, had conveyed a message to me, threatening me and saying if I did not leave a recording, then she would launch a campaign against me," he alleged.

He noted that his legal team already presented nine witnesses in the court to record their statements wherein they claimed he did not harass Shafi.

The court has summoned Zafar once again to record further statements on July 3.

On April 28, Dad, while speaking on Geo News' programme Naya Pakistan, refuted Zafar's assertions of being targeted through an organised plan for personal gains.

The propaganda was, in fact, against the survivor, she said, adding that the campaign against Shafi was under the hashtag "#FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi".

Further, on her Twitter account, the lawyer had said the "other party to the case uses mainstream media and online spaces to spread misleading narrative around the case and viciously calls [Shafi] liar".

It was ironical, she had added, that the survivor "has a gag order against her under defamation suit" and, thus, "can’t talk on mainstream media & social media about the case".

"Meesha has not been called by the court as of yet, she will go once court will direct her too. Why lawyers are there? To represent her client.

"Our case on sexual harassment has never been heard on merits. Dismissed on technical grounds, order is challenged in the LHC," she had stated.

The same day, Zafar broke into tears on live television and had said several big companies, who hired him, were tagged in the posts, along with the United Nations’ agencies, so that his career could be ended. He had also alleged that Shafi wanted to immigrate to Canada but he did not know why she had made the allegations in the first place.

In response to Zafar, Naya Pakistan host Shahzad Iqbal clarified that Shafi’s Canadian PR had, in fact, been approved in 2016.

Dad had slammed Zafar breaking down on TV as an "episode of male tears", drawing similarities to notorious alleged sexual abusers such as Brett Kavanaugh, the then-nominee for the post of the associate justice of the US Supreme Court, and R. Kelly.

Dad had stressed on the prevalent difference of perception about men and women showing emotion in public, saying the society would call women victims and survivors "'hysterical' or 'unstable' or using 'Women Card'" if they "become emotional or angry at any point during their interviews or media trial".

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