UK High Court dismisses Youtuber Adil Raja’s application orders Raja to pay another £3,000 to retired Pak army officer

LONDON: Controversial Youtuber Adil Raja has lost yet another application at the London High Court in the defamation case brought by Brigadier (retired) Rashid Nasir.

The UK High Court dismissed Raja’s application to pay only £35 per month to Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer towards the £10,000 that the court had ordered Raja to pay to Naseer at a hearing two months ago — which Adil Raja had also lost on all counts.

Not only did the court dismiss Raja’s meritless application, it also ordered Raja to pay another £3,000 making the total costs he owes Naseer £13,000.

In another blow to Raja, the High Court has also determined that he will never be allowed to recover his legal fees from the retired military officer who has so far won all stages of his defamation case against him.

The fugitive Youtuber, accused of anti-Pakistan activities on social media, was represented by Mahtab Anwar Aziz of Central Chambers Law Solicitors.

Around two months ago, Deputy High Court Judge Mr Richard Spearman KC ruled that Raja should pay £5,000 to the now-retired brigadier for the rejected application to stay the defamation trial and the judge also ordered Adil Raja to pay a further interim payment on account of costs in the sum of £5,000 for the failed security for costs application.

The high court has ruled that 9 out of the 10 publications published by Adil Raja were defamatory of Brig (R) Rashid Naseer at common law and were matters of fact, rather than expressions of opinion.

In deciding the meaning of the publications, Deputy High Court Judge Mr Richard Spearman KC ruled that Brig (R) Rashid Naseer was defamed at UK common law when Adil Farooq Raja made the following allegations, without any evidence, in the publications in June 2022: (1) Rashid Naseer had taken complete control of the Lahore High Court; (2) Rashid Naseer had allegedly had several meetings with Asif Ali Zardari to discuss election manipulation; (3) Rashid Naseer will be eliminated at the right time by soldiers working covertly leaking information about the actions and movements of such people; (4) Brigadier Rashid Naseer was working against PTI candidates; (5) Rashid Naseer is part of a meticulously contrived process set up by military and intelligence officers to rig elections; (6) Rashid Naseer has been abusing his position, using huge unaccounted funds to ensure the victory of PDM; (7) Rashid Naseer will be abusing his position to harass PTI supporters during the PTI election; (8) Rashid Naseer has sinned and destroyed his chances of the promised life in the hereafter; (9) Rashid Naseer had caused the police to do his bidding by making a baseless allegation of bribery; (10) Rashid Naseer is directly involved in political interference; (11) Brigadier Rashid Naseer registered a complaint against Adil Raja in order to defame him; (12) Rashid Naseer got Adil Raja’s brother in law arrested; and (13) he played a prominent role in regime change.

Raja initiated his campaign against the retired officer on June 14, 2022, through tweets and videos on YouTube and Facebook. Court documents reveal that the retired brigadier filed his case through his UK lawyers on August 11, 2022.

Raja has been living in the UK since April 2022.

Source: Monitoring Desk