London High Court orders Adil Raja to pay Rs130m in defamation damages

LONDON (Dunya News) – The London High Court has ruled in favour of Brigadier (r) Rashid Naseer in a defamation case against YouTuber Adil Raja, ordering the latter to pay over Rs130 million (£350,000) in damages and legal costs.

According to the verdict, Justice Richard Spearman found that Adil Raja had defamed Brigadier (r) Rashid Naseer by making false allegations that damaged his reputation. The judge ordered Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and approximately £300,000 towards legal expenses.

The court stated that Raja failed to substantiate the accusations he made against the retired army officer. Justice Spearman recognised that the published media items had caused serious harm to Rashid Naseer’s reputation, ruling that the statements were untrue and defamatory.

As part of the ruling, Adil Raja has been directed to publicly announce on all his media platforms that Brigadier (r) Rashid Naseer has won the case. The order requires the YouTuber to issue the announcement prominently across his digital and social media accounts.

Brigadier (r) Rashid Naseer had approached the London High Court after declaring nine media items by Adil Raja as defamatory. The case was closely watched due to its cross-border implications involving a Pakistani retired military officer and a UK-based social media commentator who fled the country.