On Wednesday (20 October), a sessions court issued a notice to actor-singer Ali Zafar in response to a plea by singer Meesha Shafi, who requested that she and her husband’s cross-examination be videotaped via video link in a defamation suit filed by the former against the latter.
Ms. Shafi and her husband had previously recorded their examination-in-chief throughout 2019 and now wished to present themselves for cross-examination, according to the application, which was filed through Advocate Saqib Jillani.
However, because they were Canadian citizens, physically traveling to Pakistan to videotape their cross-examination was extremely difficult and impractical.
Ms. Shafi viewed the defamation lawsuit against her as false and frivolous, as well as an attempt to harass and silence her from continuing her sexual harassment complaint against the plaintiff/Zafar, according to the motion.
It was noted that Ms. Shafi had her statement recorded on December 9, 2019, while in Pakistan on an extended visit. However, due to a strike observed by lawyers at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in December 2019, her cross-examination could not take place. Both the defendant and her spouse had been residents of Canada since 2016, according to the document.
Shafi had to leave for Canada, and she planned to finish her cross-examination when she returned to Pakistan in March/April 2020.
However, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the entire world was put on lockdown, and international air traffic was halted, according to the application. Pakistani courts, particularly trial courts across the country, limited themselves to hearing only issues of an urgent nature.
The current case was also hampered, and the defendant’s witnesses were unable to record evidence all throughout the trial.
The application asked the court “That defendant being a working mother and on account of the unnecessary costs and expenses is severely constrained to travel back to Pakistan and requests that arrangement be made so that she and her husband’s cross-examination be conducted through a video link.”
The plaintiff was served with a notice, and the court requested a response on Shafi’s application by October 25.
Zafar filed a lawsuit against Shafi after she accused him of sexual harassment. He claimed that the claims harmed his public image while his family was in pain.
He requested that the court issue a decree against Shafi and order her to pay him Rs1 billion in damages.
