New Delhi: Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi who is embroiled in a legal dispute with actor Ali Zafar after she accused him of sexual harassment has not been sentenced to jail, contrary to some media reports.
British tabloid The Daily Mail had claimed that Shafi was facing three years in jail for ‘criminal defamation’. After this report, Indian news organisations like The Times of India and Zee News also reported on her apparent sentencing.
However, Shafi took to Instagram recently to debunk the claim, saying, “Speaking up is even harder than being harassed.”
Her lawyer, Asad Jamal, too, clarified that no verdict had been passed by the trial court so far.
This is with ref to the fake news claiming that my client Meesha Shafi has been sentenced to 3 yrs imprisonment.
No such verdict has been passed by trial court in the frivolous criminal defamation case instituted by Ali Zafar against several women.
Read complete statement below pic.twitter.com/49vRSXtvFe
— Asad Jamal (@LegalPolitical) March 15, 2021
In 2018, Shafi had accused singer and actor Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. The actor denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit against Shafi.
Zafar is a prominent Pakistani actor-singer who has also been a part of Bollywood movies like Mere Brother ki Dulhan and Dear Zindagi while Shafi began her career as a singer on Coke Studio.
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Religious scholar in Jhelum survives assassination attempt
A well-known religious scholar in Pakistan survived an assassination attempt at a religious academy in Punjab’s Jhelum district Sunday.
The cleric, Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, is a resident of Machine Mohallah in Jhelum.
The suspect allegedly attacked Mirza with a sharp weapon and was taken into custody by the police. A case has been registered against him.
On Sunday afternoon, after Mirza gave a lecture, a man ran towards the cleric with a weapon “with the intention of murder”, the FIR said.
After the accused was arrested, he alleged that Mirza was “deceiving people” and had taken offence to his teachings.
Mirza regularly uploads live videos of his lectures and speeches and has 4.6 million subscribers on YouTube.
The cleric is also not new to controversy. In the past, he has been criticised of ‘misguiding people’ for taking an unorthodox view on Islam. He has also been arrested for allegedly spreading hate speech against some religious scholars.
Religious affairs ministry orders change in Covid prevention slogan
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry Wednesday ordered that the slogan used for coronavirus prevention campaign must be changed from an “aggressive tone” to a
“precaution-focused” one.
In a notification, the ministry said the use of the slogan “Corona se darna nahi, larna hai (We have to fight the coronavirus pandemic, not be afraid of it)” for the purpose of media, social media campaign and reporting should be avoided.
اسلامی نظریاتی کونسل کی سفارش اور وفاقی کابینہ سے منظوری کے بعد وزارتِ مذہبی امور نے کرونا وبا ء کے سلوگن کے حوالے سے نوٹیفکیشن جاری کردیا۔ ‘‘کرونا سے ڈرنا نہیں لڑنا ہے’’ کے استعمال کی ممانعت ہو گی۔ آگہی کیلئے ‘‘کرونا ایک وباء ہے، احتیاط جس کی شفاء ہے’’ استعمال کیا جائے#Corona pic.twitter.com/kcq1NyLCYK
— Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony (@MORAisbOfficial) March 17, 2021
The notification advised that words such as “Corona waba hai, ehtiyaat jis ki shifa’a hai [Coronavirus is a pandemic and its cure is precaution]” must be used instead.
Pakistan has recorded 6,15,810 cases of Covid-19 and 13,717 deaths, so far.
Couple sedates lion cub for wedding photoshoot in Lahore
A Lahore-based photography studio found itself in the middle of a controversy after it posted an Instagram story of a sedated lion cub being used as a prop for a wedding photoshoot.
In the video, the lion cub can be seen looking drowsy and sedated and behind the cub, there is a couple taking pictures for their wedding photoshoot.
According to Pakistan’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1890, it is illegal for a person “without reasonable cause (to have in their) possession any live animal which is suffering pain by reason of mutilation, starvation, thirst, overcrowding or other ill treatment”.
The pictures and videos have since been deleted from Studio Afzl’s official account.
However, several screenshots and screen recordings were leaked on the internet. According to media reports, it remains unclear on whether the studio had a permit to use the lion cub as a prop.
Several people on Twitter also raised concern over the animal’s condition.
@PunjabWildlife does your permit allow for a lion cub to be rented out for ceremonies?Look at this poor cub sedated and being used as a prop.This studio is in Lahore where this cub is being kept.Rescue him please pic.twitter.com/fMcqZnoRMd
— save the wild (@wildpakistan) March 7, 2021
Others called out the couple for “showing off” their wealth.
Sedated Lion Used as a prop on stage for wedding photography of this couple. Here’s a post from Pakistan on World Wild Life day 2021. Seperated from mother, stolen and sold, used as a prop. Is this a new way of showing off wealth? pic.twitter.com/hUPoqmkibQ
— Asif Mehmood (@AsifVloger) March 7, 2021
this pakistani couple sedated a lion cub just to use as a prop for their wedding. the rich in this country are so problematic ;-; have some shame
— maham hassan khan. (@WaggishRiposte) March 7, 2021
(Edited by Rachel John)
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