Maria B requests court to stop Shehzad Ghias from tweets, videos during defamation case

An Islamabad court on Monday adjourned a defamation case filed by fashion designer Maria B against podcaster Shehzad Ghias, setting the next hearing for July 14.

The case came up for hearing days after Maria B announced that she had served Ghias with a legal notice, accusing him of defamation and inciting violence against her.

During the course of hearing today, Ghias’s counsel, Imaan Mazari, appeared before the court and informed the judge that she would submit her power of attorney at the next hearing.

The court directed that arguments be presented at the upcoming hearing and that the request for a restraining order be taken up at that time.

Earlier, Maria B was represented by her lawyer, Barrister Abdul Ahad Khokher, while no representative appeared on behalf of Ghias during that session.

Khokher urged the court to restrain Ghias from posting tweets and videos, claiming the podcaster was continuing to share content despite ongoing legal proceedings. He argued that such posts amounted to negative propaganda and could prejudice the case.

The judge postponed the hearing, instructing that it would resume once Ghias or his legal representative was present.

The civil suit filed by fashion designer Maria B alleges that podcaster Shehzad Ghias made “several false, frivolous and baseless allegations against” her.

“The defendant has made several allegations, including but not limited to that the plaintiff has used Islam, with a negative connotation, to promote her brand; the defendant has mocked the plaintiff’s affinity to Islam by saying that she has rebranded herself as an Islamic thought leader to sell her hideous clothes, which demeans the Plaintiff’s love of faith, and the defendant further said that the Plaintiff has been the cause of [the] deaths of many people especially trans," read the suit.

“That she has promoted her brand on the back of a genocide, ie Palestine genocide. That she has a foreign passport and prostrates in front of foreign rulers just for the sake of citizenship. The defendant has also alleged that the plaintiff has made money out of the blood of trans people. The defendant incited people/mob to attack the store of the plaintiff so that the plaintiff would get a lesson.”

The suit also refers to another claim made by Ghias, stating that he accused Maria B of endangering lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. “That during the initial days of Covid, she had sent her house help in bus just to save herself and put the life of many other people in danger and caused the spreading of virus.”

Further, the suit says: “It is reiterated that all of the statements made by the defendant in the videos against the plaintiff are highly despicable, are based on lies and concocted just to damage her reputation and the statements have lowered the plaintiff in the estimation of others. The plaintiff is a law-abiding citizen and has never been directly or indirectly involved in harming anyone.”

The complaint emphasizes Maria B’s philanthropic contributions, stating she has always sought to “create harmony among different sections of the society through her philanthropic works” and “always tried to help people in need.” It adds that her campaign for Palestine received “widespread recognition” and that “she donated the entire proceeds of the Palestine collection to Palestine.”

The document further states that she advocated for intersex rights while opposing LGBTQ culture, saying she worked to educate the public about “the difference between transgender and intersex.”

Calling one of Ghias’s allegations “obnoxious,” the suit says, “The allegation of having foreign passports and bowing before foreign rulers is obnoxious without any basis and has put the patriotism of the plaintiff into question.”

It also refutes the Covid-related accusation, claiming, “The story of household help was debunked at the time but the defendant is still using the alleged occurrence to malign and defame the plaintiff. The house help of the plaintiff did not have Covid and whole of the story is frivolous.”

The suit asserts that Ghias’s comments “have lowered the esteem of the plaintiff in the eyes of the general public as well as friends, relatives, acquaintances and [the] public at large,” and subjected her to “undue hate, dislike, contempt, undue criticism.”

“The statements have also caused mental agony and stress to the plaintiff as well as financial loss. The defendant has also hurt the religious sentiments of the plaintiff. That by making the abovementioned statements the defendant has caused injury/harm to the personal interests of the Plaintiff.”