Lahore: In the Lahore sessions court on Monday, Ali Zafar presented a pileof documents as evidence to prove how Meesha Shafi made a false allegationagainst him just before the recording of a TV program conducted by amultinational beverage company to have him removed from the program.
Earlier Rizwan Raees, who has been both Ali Zafar’s and Meesha’s manager,testified in court that Meesha tried to threaten and blackmail Ali Zafar topull out of a hefty amount from the multinational company and have Aliremoved from it.
In his testimony today, Zafar said that Shafi’s allegations had caused him“emotional and financial damage”. He said that he was shocked and hurt thatanyone could do such a thing specially a friend you have known for years.
“I asked that I be told when and where I harassed Meesha Shafi,” he said.
“I sent a legal notice to Meesha Shafi immediately after she accused me [ofharassment] and demanded an apology,” Zafar told the court. He alsosubmitted records of messages that he claimed were sent to him by Shafi,along with the tweets posted on her account.
Zafar claimed that before accusing him publicly, Shafi had sent him amessage through his manager Rizwan Raees, telling him to “stay away fromthe Pepsi contract or she would level allegation of sexual harassmentagainst him.”
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He claimed that Raees had told him that Shafi “will not be alone in heraccusing [the singer] of harassment and will have “other girls” with herready to accuse him.”
“Meesha Shafi said that she will start a movement with her allegations,”Zafar claimed.
“Meesha not only blackmailed Ali but also the multinational beveragecompany to extort more money from them and drop Ali Zafar from therecording. However, Ali refused to be threatened or blackmailed so she wentahead with the false allegation” earlier Raees recorded his statemnt incourt.
Ali Zafar in court confirmed this saying “The message I received fromMeesha through my agent Rizwan was to step aside from the project or I willsuffer. She said that if I don’t leave the project she will publicly accuseme of harassment and furthermore she would not be alone. She said she willuse the internationally renowned and respected #metoo movement and warnedme of the magnitude and impact of the movement. She added that when shecomes out with the allegation riding on the movement, she will have “otherwomen” with her along with the press and I should be wary of the fact thatbeing a woman she would have people’s sympathies and support and therewould be nothing I would be able to do to save myself so I should be smartenough to quietly step aside which I refused to do hence she tweeted thealleged harassment just minutes before my flight to attend the recording.”
