The legal dispute involving Meesha Shafi and Ali Zafar has taken another turn after the Federal Constitutional Court adjourned proceedings indefinitely. On Wednesday, the court directed the Federation to submit its response in line with its latest instructions. The case concerns Shafi’s challenge to proceedings initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
A two-member bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi heard the matter. During the hearing, the court observed that the Additional Attorney General could not represent both the Federation and the FIA in the same case. It instructed the Federation to submit its response promptly.
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Shafi has challenged the legal basis of the FIA proceedings, alleging that the case was initiated with mala fide intent. She has asked the court to declare Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 unconstitutional and dismiss the proceedings against her. The court also noted that a High Court ruling had upheld the provision’s consistency with Article 19 of the Constitution, which protects freedom of speech subject to constitutional restrictions.
The constitutional challenge is separate from Zafar’s defamation suit against Shafi. Their dispute began in 2018, when Shafi publicly accused Zafar of harassment. Zafar denied the allegations and filed a defamation case seeking Rs1 billion in damages, arguing that the claims had damaged his reputation.
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In March, a Lahore sessions court ordered Shafi to pay Zafar Rs5 million in damages. The court ruled that she had failed to substantiate her allegations based on the evidence presented in the defamation proceedings. However, the constitutional case concerning the FIA proceedings and Section 20 of PECA remains pending, with the latest adjournment leaving its next hearing date uncertain.