Film director Jami jailed for two years for defaming fellow director Sohail Javed

Film director Jami jailed for two years for defaming fellow director Sohail Javed

Jami, who appeared in court on bail, was taken into custody following the verdict and sent to Central Prison Karachi to serve his sentence
Film director Jami jailed for two years for defaming fellow director Sohail Javed

Web Desk

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9 Jul 2025

A sessions court in Karachi sentenced director Jamshed Mahmood Raza, popularly known as Jami, to two years imprisonment for defaming fellow director Sohail Javed in 2019.

Jami, who appeared in court on bail, was taken into custody following the verdict and sent to Central Prison Karachi to serve his sentence.

The case stems from a private complaint filed by Javed, who accused Jami, a well-known music video and film director, of disseminating defamatory content. According to the complainant, Jami posted a letter on his Facebook page, ‘Jami Moor’, on February 14, 2019. The letter, allegedly written by an anonymous woman, described an incident of sexual assault.

Although the letter did not explicitly name Javed, he claimed it clearly insinuated that he was the "predator" mentioned, especially among those familiar with the entertainment industry.

He also alleged that Jami publicly read the letter at Lahooti Melo 2019, a cultural festival held at Sindh University, Jamshoro.

In February 2019, Javed served a legal notice to Jami, demanding an “unconditional public apology on the same or equivalent platform” where the contentious letter had been published.

Jami’s legal counsel responded on March 9, rejecting the allegations. That same day, Javed initiated a defamation suit, seeking the removal of the related social media posts and Rs500 million in damages, along with an additional Rs500 million for emotional distress.

In his defence, Jami denied any intent to defame. He claimed the letter had been handed to him by the organisers of Lahooti Melo and that he was unaware of its contents at the time of reading. According to the judgment, Jami stated that after sharing the video online, it was other users who began identifying the complainant in the comments.

He maintained that he neither named Javed nor intended to target him. Upon noticing Javed’s name circulating in the comments, Jami said he deleted the post and subsequently deactivated his Facebook account.

The judgment, delivered after multiple hearings over several years, concluded that the elements of defamation under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code had been met.

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