British-Pakistani PTI activist Shayan Ali’s defamation lawsuit against a private television channel is moving toward trial at the High Court in London. Court records indicate that a key hearing is expected within the coming days, with Shayan seeking nearly £100,000 in damages over a broadcast aired in April 2022.
The case relates to a television report that alleged Shayan attempted to attack former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif outside a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) office near Hyde Park in London. The report claimed that he threw a mobile phone toward Nawaz Sharif, injuring a security guard during the incident.
Shayan has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that he neither attacked Nawaz Sharif nor threw his phone. He says he was merely recording a video outside the PML-N office when the incident occurred. No arrest was made, and no criminal charges were brought against him in connection with the matter.
Following the broadcast, Shayan filed a complaint with Ofcom. The regulator ruled in his favor, finding that the broadcaster failed to take reasonable care in presenting the facts and did not provide Shayan with a timely and appropriate opportunity to respond to the serious allegations made against him.
According to court documents, the case is expected to require a trial lasting at least one week. Shayan argues that the broadcast portrayed him as a criminal and caused significant damage to his reputation in the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and elsewhere. The television channel disputes the claim and has filed a defense. The High Court has not yet ruled on liability or the merits of either party’s case, and the proceedings remain ongoing.