LONDON: The defamation suit filed by British-Pakistani PTI activist Shayan Ali against a private television station – seeking almost £100,000 in damages – is progressing towards a trial at the High Court in London, with a key hearing expected to take place within days, court records show.
The proceedings relate to the private television broadcast broadcast on April 2, 2022, according to which Shayan attempted to attack former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in front of the Pakistan Muslim League N office near Hyde Park and threw a mobile phone, which hit and injured a security guard.
Shayan has always denied these allegations. He maintains that he did not attack Nawaz, that he did not throw his phone and that he was recording a video outside the PML-N office when the incident took place. No arrests have been made and Shayan has not been charged in connection with the alleged incident.
Shayan then complained to Ofcom, the UK’s broadcasting regulator. Ofcom ruled in Shayan’s favor and found that the private channel had failed to take all necessary precautions to ensure that important facts were not presented, ignored or omitted in a way that was unfair to him.
The regulator also found that the television had failed to demonstrate that it had provided Shayan with a timely and appropriate opportunity to respond to the serious allegation that he attempted to attack Nawaz and injured a security guard. Ofcom concluded that Shayan had been treated unfairly in the program as broadcast.
The TV report alleged that Nawaz was leaving the temporary headquarters of the Pakistan Muslim League-N near Hyde Park when Shayan, who he said was already there as part of a plan, misbehaved and tried to approach him.
The report alleges that when security guards tried to arrest Shayan, he became aggressive and threw his phone at Nawaz, hitting a security guard in the forehead and injuring him. He further reported that Nawaz was rushed in his vehicle while the injured security guard was taken to the hospital.
Shayan claims the show presented the allegations as established facts and portrayed him as a criminal, thereby causing serious damage to his reputation among viewers in the UK, Pakistan and elsewhere. He claims that the television broadcast serious and defamatory allegations without giving him the opportunity to respond.
The case is expected to require a trial lasting at least a week, according to court documents. A judge is expected to review the future conduct and progress of the proceedings at a hearing in a few days. The High Court is yet to determine liability or substantial claims made by either party.
Shayan is portrayed by Spencer Williams and Mughal. The TV channel is represented by Hemingways Solicitors. The broadcaster has filed a defense and disputes Shayan’s claims.
A lawyer for the broadcaster said: “I can confirm that legal proceedings are continuing in the High Court. In these circumstances it would be inappropriate to comment further. When the complaint has concluded we will be happy to confirm the outcome.”
Shayan’s lawyer said: “As the matter is before the High Court, we cannot make further comments but we are confident that justice will prevail.” »
