ISLAMABAD – Two years ago, a Pakistani singer sent shock waves through the music industry and sparked the highest #MeToo debate in the country, when she accused a fellow pop star of groping her. She is now being prosecuted for a criminal defamation charge and is facing possible imprisonment.
Meesha Shafi appealed the sexual harassment case she brought to the country’s Supreme Court after losing a series of legal battles in which judicial authorities ruled that her case was not covered by a law to protect women at the scene. for work.
The accusation of criminal defamation was brought by the authorities after a complaint of the pop star he accused, Ali Zafar. If convicted, she could face up to three years in prison.
Ms. Shafi’s supporters say her legal battles could affect women’s desire to be sexually abused, and the outcome of the legal battle would define who is covered by a law to protect women from harassment at work.
The case of harassment “will decide the scope of the law to keep women safe at work,” said Khwaja Ahmad Hosain, a lawyer representing Ms. Shafi in the Supreme Court. “The result will be important for all women in this country.”