Mamya Shajaffar issues Rs1b counter-notice to Arslan Butt for 'defamation, harassment'
He had accused her of defamation over an interview in which she described a costar's behaviour as having made her 'uncomfortable'.
Actors Mamya Shajaffar and Arslan Butt have agreed to reach an “amicable” settlement over their dispute regarding claims of workplace harassment that Shajaffar had made allegedly against Butt on a podcast in May.
Both actors shared on their respective social media accounts on June 22 copies of a settlement agreement that stated the terms of their resolution.
The dispute between both actors began when Shajaffar appeared on the YouTube show Say It All with Iffat Omar, claiming that a person identified as “Arsalan” had caused her to feel “uncomfortable” on set. She had clarified on social media that she was not talking about Arslan Khan, her College Gate costar.
Butt’s connection to the incident was attributed to Omar, the host, who purportedly said he was the one being discussed.
Following this disclosure, Butt sent Shajaffar a legal notice against “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” comments, and said her statements had caused “serious reputational damage, mental distress, humiliation and public embarrassment” to Butt.
Butt’s notice demanded Shajaffar “retract the allegations”, “take steps for the removal of the defamatory content”, “issue a clear, unconditional public apology and retraction” on YouTube and “refrain from repeating such allegations in the future”.
Shajaffar, in turn, issued a Rs 1 billion counter-notice to Butt, terming his legal notice “false, misconceived, mala fide, legally defective, and apparently issued with ulterior motives to pressurise, intimidate and silence my client (her) after repeated acts of harassment committed by your client (Butt)”.
The settlement reached by both parties on June 19 said that “certain misunderstandings, differences and controversy arose between the parties, including matters relating to personal statements, communications, legal notices, complaints and/or proceedings initiated or contemplated before different forums and institutions”.
It added that the parties had agreed to voluntarily resolve disputes, differences and controversies amicably in the presence and with the help of “respectable elders, well-wishers and mutual mediators”.
As per the agreement, both parties agreed to put the matter of “alleged workplace harassment” behind them and declared it “amicably resolved”.
“Both parties confirmed that the matter has been fully and finally settled,” the document said.
“No claim, allegation, ambiguity, misunderstanding, grievance or dispute now remained pending between the parties arising out of any incident, statement, communication, notice, complaint, interview, social media content, legal notice or any other matter occurring prior to the execution of this agreement,” the agreement clarified.
Both parties agreed that “All past events, statements, allegations, complaints, notices, legal communications and disputes are hereby mutually forgiven, withdrawn, settled and brought to an end.”
The agreement clarified that it was not to be “treated as an admission of guilt, liability, misconduct or wrongdoing from either party”.
The agreement said both parties were not to “make any defamatory, hostile, threatening or adverse statement against each other” and that they would “cooperate in withdrawing, closing, not pressing or rendering infructuous any complaint, application, notice, claim or proceeding filed by either party against the other”.
Shajaffar told Images she was unwell and could not attend court hearings, so she chose to settle the matter out of court. She said Meer Sikandar — the director of Meesni, in which both actors were co-stars — helped guide them to the settlement.
With additional reporting by Imran Gabol