LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday gave a last opportunity to singer Meesha Shafi to complete her cross-examination pending for years in a defamation suit by fellow actor-cum-singer Ali Zafar.

Earlier, a clerk of the counsel for Shafi sought an adjournment saying she was in travel and not available for recording her evidence through a video-link from Canada.

Advocate Umar Gill on behalf of plaintiff Zafar opposed the request for the adjournment saying the examination in chief (main statement) of the defendant (Shafi) was recorded way back in 2019 and since then her cross examination was not being completed.

He said the statement of the defendant should be discarded as she was not willing to present her for cross-examination.

The clerk of the counselassured the court that the defendant would be available for crossexamination on May 2.

At this, Additional District and Sessions Judge Khan Mahmood adjourned the hearing till the date requested by the defendant`s side, however, with a last opportunity for the cross-examination.

The Supreme Court had allowed Shafi to record her cross-examination on a video link as she was living outside the country.

In February 2023, Zafar`s counsel resumed the remaining cross-examination of Shafi through a video link when she admitted posting a picture with the male singer on her facebook account, which she earlier related to one of incidents of alleged sexual harassment.

In his defamation suit, Zafar said the 2018 allegations of sexual harassment by Shafi tarnished his image in public and his family had been facing agony and pain. He asked the court to issue a decree against Shafi and direct her to pay Rsibn as damages to him.