Pakistan, April 29 -- Meesha Shafi has challenged a Rs5 million defamation verdict in the Lahore High Court after a lower court ruled in favour of Ali Zafar. The appeal marks a new phase in the long-running legal dispute between the two artists, which began after Shafi publicly accused Zafar of sexual harassment several years ago. The sessions court had earlier ordered Shafi to pay damages following Zafar's defamation claim, which initially sought compensation amounting to Rs1 billion.

Shafi's legal counsel argued in the appeal that the trial court committed errors while assessing the case and interpreting the available evidence. According to the petition, the court concluded that Shafi failed to prove her allegations but did not require...