LHC dismisses Meesha Shafi plea for cross examination through video link

LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday dismissed a petition filed by singer Meesha Shafi for permission to complete her cross examination through video link in a defamation suit filed by singer-actor Ali Zafar against her. Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid heard the appeal filed by Meesha Shafi. Meesha Shafi through the petition submitted that a sessions court had dismissed her application for completing her cross examination through video link against facts. She submitted that she was living in Canada and could not appear before the Sessions Court.  She submitted that after partial cross examination, she had to come Canada due to unavoidable reasons. She pleaded with the court to allow her to complete the cross examination on his statement through video link. The row between both singers started in 2018 when Meesha Shafi accused Zafar of harassing her “on more than two occasions’’.

LHC grants protective bail to Imran Riaz in two cases

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted protective bail to anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan in two cases of allegedly spreading hate against state institutions. Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem and Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz separately heard two different petitions filed by anchorperson for protective bail in cases registered by Nawab Shah’s City and Thatta’s Dhabeji police.

Defamation suit

The former granted the journalist protective bail of four days while the latter granted it till May 31.

The anchorperson through his petitions submitted that the police had registered two cases against him in Nawab Shah and Thatta.

He submitted that he wanted to appear before the courts concerned for securing bail in the cases but it was feared that the police could arrest him. He had pleaded with the court for granting protective bail to enable him to appear before the courts concerned.

Nawab Shah and Thatta police had registered two FIRs against the anchorperson under Sections 131, 153 and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).