Unilever Pakistan releases statement on Ali Zafar-Meesha Shafi legal battle

The Lux Style Awards 2019, a platform that acknowledges and rewards talent in the field(s) of music, fashion, television and film based on merit, never happen without controversy. Though the platform runs with independent juries for each field, non-nomination of anyone can be misconstrued as something more. This year’s controversy has centred around the Ali Zafar and Meesha Shafi case, in which Meesha has accused Ali of sexual harassment and Ali has countersued her for defamation.The controversy arose when several nominees, in solidarity with Meesha Shafi, dropped out of the show, saying that the LSAs should not have nominated an “alleged” harasser. Ali, in turn, on a television program, said that the Teefa in Trouble OST deserved nominations but were victimized “by two ladies on the jury”.Amidst all this, Unilever Pakistan, on May 4, released a statement, to clarify matters.Read the statement: “Respect, dignity and fair treatment are core principles at Unilever Pakistan. We expect all our employees, partners, customers and associates to adhere to the principles. Any allegation of misconduct on anyone associated with Unilever Pakistan or our brands, is taken very seriously.”The statement noted further: “The nominations for the Lux Style Awards are decided by an independent and transparent Jury of industry peers and critics. The members of the Jury for 2019 were chosen by an independent Board of Governors. Neither the Lux Style Awards nor Unilever Pakistan has ever intruded in the Jury’s independence, and we continue to respect their decisions. We are aware of the case involving Mr. Ali Zafar and Ms Meesha Shafi. The matter is presently sub-judice and it would not be appropriate to comment on it.”

from The News International - Instep Today http://bit.ly/2J1DTIw