Dawn boss Hameed Haroon serves legal notice on filmmaker Jamshed Mehmood
JournalismPakistan.com |
Published 5 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Serving a legal notice on filmmaker Jamshed Mehmood, Dawn CEO Hameed Haroon has demanded an unconditional public apology and retraction of the rape allegations.
Dawn.com reported on Monday that the legal notice was served under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance 2002.
However, Jami has ruled out an apology. He confirmed to Dawn.com that he had received the notice, saying an apology was not "even a distant possibility."
Last year in October, Jami said he was raped by a “media tycoon” 13 years ago, and on December 28, he named Haroon as his alleged rapist.
Haroon issued a statement rejecting the rape accusations, saying he would initiate legal action.
The notice maintained that the false and malicious allegation “has been levelled at the instigation of powerful interests in the state and society who, for their own motives and the promotion of their own repressive narrative, wish to destroy our client’s credibility, especially his credibility as a leading advocate of the freedom of the press.”
The notice asks Jami to circulate an unconditional public apology and issue a public statement retracting rape allegations from all social media posts and other media outlets within 14 days. Otherwise “Haroon reserves the right to initiate civil and criminal legal proceedings against the director under Section 499 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, and the Defamation Ordinance, 2002, and other applicable laws.”
PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day
November 03, 2025:
PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025:
PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
Global impunity for journalist murders worsens as Pakistan sees 60 percent rise in attacks
November 02, 2025:
Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
Pakistan Press Foundation documents 137 attacks on journalists in 2025
November 01, 2025:
Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.