ARY's UK broadcaster apologises to Meesha Shafi for defaming her

LAHORE: Singer Meesha Shafi has won a defamation case against ARY’s UK broadcaster (NVTV) after the channel agreed to apologise to her and settle the case before trial.

Shafi had sued New Vision TV Limited (NVTV) in London over a December 2020 news broadcast in which the channel accused her of failing to obey Pakistani court orders by coming to Pakistan from Canada to record Coke Studio songs and then returning to Canada instead of attending court for two years in singer Ali Zafar’s defamation lawsuit at Lahore sessions court. 

The channel showed images of Shafi with Zafar and his video, followed by images of Shafi in a recording studio, images of tweets against her, one of which likened Shafi to an animal, mocking and ridiculing her.

"In December 2021 Meesha Shafi filed a defamation case against New Vision TV in the UK High Court. This case was in regards to a news report aired in December 2020 in which it was implied that Meesha Shafi did not obey court orders to attend court in Pakistan in the defamation case filed against her by Ali Zafar. 

"Recently we sat down with Meesha Shafi to discuss her claim [against New Vision TV] and it has been decided that it would be in the interest of all involved that this matter is settled out of court amicably," said NVTV in its apology video.

"We believe that in our broadcast there was a misunderstanding and an incorrect impression was created in regards to Meesha Shafi’s court attendance [in the Ali Zafar case in Pakistan]," the broadcaster added.

"We are sorry if our broadcast caused Meesha Shafi any distress. If in the future we publish any news regarding Meesha Shafi we have agreed to first consult with Meesha Shafi or her lawyers to verify the facts."

In December 2023, the London High Court had ruled, in the first part of the case, that Shafi had been defamed.

In April 2018, at the height of the global #MeToo movement, the singer had accused Zafar on social media of sexual harassment of a physical nature on multiple occasions during their friendship and music collaborations. 

Her accusations took Pakistan by storm and the two of them have been involved in litigation ever since. Zafar denies the allegations.

Prior to Shafi winning the meaning trial at the London High Court and now finally receiving the apology from NVTV, Shafi had complained to the Pakistani media regulator Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) where her complaint was entertained. 

In that case, the star was represented by lawyer Nighat Dad and her all female legal team. Dad said in a statement: "Apology to Meesha Shafi in UK shows how TV channels maliciously ran campaigns against her for several years without any accountability. This is a great win for Meesha Shafia and her struggle for justice. She needed justice and she has got it in the UK."

Shafi was represented by Stone White Solicitors and Counsel David Lemer of Doughty Street Chambers. 

NVTV were represented by Gresham Legal Solicitors and Counsel Jonathan Barnes KC of 5RB Chambers.