With the court’s ruling in his favor, Ali Zafar celebrates his win against Meesha Shafi in a defamation case. Many have come forward to congratulate him for his win and call for accountability towards women who ‘misuse’ the justice system. They vouch for his innocence in the sexual harassment case that is still in the courts, and hope that strict action is taken against false defamation attempts in the future.
Posting on X, former minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain congratulated Ali on his win and stated that the case against him was merely a case of media rivalry. He posted:
Huge congratulations @AliZafarsays. I never doubted your innocence; it’s clear you were caught in the crossfire of a media rivalry. It is high time the Geo anchors who spearheaded the campaign against you take responsibility and apologize. https://t.co/SNRs4tuEpt
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 31, 2026
Television host and journalist, Iqrar-Ul-Hassan, also posted and said that women who exploit the law must be held accountable. He posted on X:
علی ظفر میشا شفیع کی جانب سے جنسی ہراسانی کے الزام کا کیس جیت گئے جس پر عدالت نے میشا شفیع پر پچاس لاکھ کا جرمانہ عائد کیا ہے۔ اس جھوٹے الزام کی وجہ سے علی ظفر جس کرب اور جن حالات سے گزرے اُس کے مقابلے میں یہ جرمانہ اور سزا نہائیت معمولی ہے۔ ایسے کیسز میں ایسی خواتین کا نشانِ…
— Iqrar ul Hassan Syed (@iqrarulhassan) March 31, 2026
Journalist, Mahwish Ejaz, took to X and said that such accusations ruin lives and women must not exploit it and posted:
Someone hasn’t read To Kill a Mockingbird.
Or history. Or law.
False accusations ruin lives. Women cannot be using something as serious as assault to settle scores. https://t.co/RSffRTwN5C
— Mahwash Ajaz 🇵🇰 (@mahwashajaz_) April 1, 2026
Iffat Omar, however, has come forward to criticize the verdict, stating that it is a loss as a society because women will continue to be harassed by men with power and money. Taking it to X, she posted:
So the final verdict from session court of Meesha Shafi vs Ali Zafar defamation case came out.I was not only a primary character witness, I knew both families and both children very closely. If I took a side, it was with 100% certainty and belief.
For me, Meesha Shafi’s issue…
— Iffat Omar Official (@OmarIffat) March 31, 2026
Sharing her own experience, she added that Meesha’s support system was dismantled by dragging them into criminal cases, being threatened, and bribed. She, too, was threatened with 3 years’ imprisonment, which did not deter her as she stood by the truth. Further allegations of running a foreign agenda were also made, she said.
Backing her opinions, activist Leena Ghani added that winning a defamation case does not free Ali from the ongoing sexual harassment against him. She posted on X:
Ali Zafar won his civil DEFAMATION case against Meesha Shafi.
Not a harassment case. The harassment case against him is still pending. He has not been proven innocent. He has not been cleared of anything except winning a lawsuit about a few tweets. https://t.co/5VhWsS1CA9
— leena (@Leena_Ghani) March 31, 2026
Activist Maria Amir added that Ali winning a ‘Pride of Performance’ award while being under scrutiny for sexual harassment is proof that the verdict has been biased and the government supports perpetrators of sexual harassment. She posted:
This is for people who think that the tiny percentage of women who come forward do it ‘for fame’. Women know they will only be further attacked for their truth. Zafar got a Pride of Performance & this shows that consequences are a myth, men are literally rewarded by the system! https://t.co/5w2H4SMZk6
— Maria Amir 🍉 (@Beentherella) March 31, 2026
In the defamation verdict, Meesha has been ordered to pay Ali Rs. 5 million in damages and has been banned from posting regarding sexual misconduct allegations against him. According to the courts, no reliable and cogent evidence was found against the complainant.
