Daily Times

Acclaimed singer Meesha Shafi has put forward her side of the story in the ongoing sexual harassment case against fellow singer Ali Zafar during a TV interview on Monday.

Her appearance came on the heels of a similar TV appearance by Ali Zafar in which he tried to  refute allegations of sexual harassment. His appearance was slammed by Meesha’s lawyer as an “episode of male tears”

Speaking on a TV show in her first media appearance since this news item emerged onto the scene, Shafi said she had wished to resolve the matter privately as she did not want to work further with Zafar, and that she had communicated this “privately through representatives in a very clear manner”.

“I was trying my best not to let this come out. I had given them the message that I do not want a controversy of any kind, and that I do not want this to come out in public,” she said.

The singer said she conveyed the message that she did not want to work with Zafar but the response she got was that she should visit him at his residence to talk about it.

Meesha also described her traumatic ordeal in the immediate aftermath of the incident as she tried to block it all out.

“During those four months after the incident, I did not speak about it as I had blocked it out.

“I was not thinking about it, nor was I thinking about how or when to talk about it,” she said.

“I had made a promise to myself that, after what I had experienced firsthand, I would not put myself in such a situation where I would feel vulnerable like this.”Meesha also disclosed that she had only performed with Zafar on organiser’s insistence. “It was part of the agreement as per the professional contract,” she said

She also underscored that she had a number of witnesses with her who are willing to record their statement in the court.

“As per the harassment a law, the witnesses’ testimony is taken as evidence,” she said.

The singer also labeled hashtag #FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi as “incorrect”, as she maintained that, contrary to the perception being built that she is trying to evade the hearings, she has not yet been summoned by the court.

“I will appear before the court whenever it summons me,” she declared