Former Pakistan Army officer Brigadier (retired) Rashid Naseer has won a defamation lawsuit against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter and YouTuber Adil Raja in the UK High Court, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.
The Royal Courts of Justice in London ruled in favour of Brigadier (retd) Naseer, ordering Adil Raja to pay £50,000 in damages and an additional £300,000 in legal costs.
The court declared Raja’s allegations against the retired army officer to be false and defamatory, describing them as baseless claims made to mislead the public and media.
Presiding Judge Richard Spearman stated in his judgement that no evidence was found to support Raja’s accusations. The judge also dismissed allegations related to the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, clarifying that the case only pertained to the defamatory claims made between two individuals.
According to the court’s written decision, Adil Raja’s social media publications had seriously damaged Brigadier Naseer’s reputation. The posts, the court said, contained highly offensive and unsubstantiated accusations, adding that freedom of expression cannot be used as a shield to defame others.
The judgement noted that Adil Raja failed to produce credible evidence to substantiate his claims and had instead attempted to justify his actions under the pretext of public interest, which the court rejected. All of Raja’s defensive applications were dismissed.
Legal experts described the ruling as a landmark case against online defamation and fake news, likely to serve as a precedent for future cases involving social media slander.
Adil Raja had published nine separate posts in 2022 accusing Brigadier (retd) Naseer of serious misconduct. The trial of the case began on July 21, 2025, and the verdict was announced today at the Royal Courts of Justice.
During the trial, witnesses including Shehzad Akbar, Shaheen Sehbai, and Syed Akbar appeared on behalf of Adil Raja. However, the court ruled their testimonies unreliable and lacking credibility.
Judge Spearman noted that Shehzad Akbar’s statements were largely based on personal opinion rather than verified facts and that he could not confirm any of the incidents personally.
The court found that the nine publications constituted contemptuous and defamatory material against Brigadier (retd) Naseer. The court observed that Raja’s sources were unreliable and that no authentic documentation was provided to substantiate his allegations.
Brigadier (retd) Naseer’s counsel, Ishrat Sultana, Saadia Qureshi, and David Lemer of Stone White Solicitors, argued that Adil Raja ran a political agenda under the guise of journalism and had used offensive and irresponsible language in his content.
They also told the court that Pakistan’s official fact-finding report on the Arshad Sharif murder case did not support Adil Raja’s accusations of ISI involvement.
The court has now directed Adil Raja to refrain from making any further false or baseless allegations and to publish the summary of the judgement on all his social media platforms.
After the verdict, Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer expressed gratitude to the court for upholding justice against false and defamatory propaganda, calling the ruling a victory for truth and accountability.
Reporter: Asad Malik