Controversial YouTuber Major (Retd) Adil Raja is in serious trouble as a UK High Court judge has dismissed all his applications, including one to halt the progression of a defamation trial initiated by former senior military officer Brigadier (Retired) Rashid Naseer.
The ruling stated that Mr Raja had disseminated seriously defamatory statements about Rashid Naseer across various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter/X.
Deputy High Court Judge Mr Richard Spearman KC ordered Mr Raja to pay £5,000 to Brigadier Naseer for the rejected application and an additional interim payment of £5,000 for the unsuccessful security for costs application.
The defendant, Mr. Raja, must settle this amount by April 17, 2024.
Assisted by his lawyer and PTI UK leader Mahtab Anwar Aziz, who also represents PTI activist Shayan Ali, Mr Raja presented his case remotely via video link.
Despite arguments advocating for the stay of the trial on various grounds, including allegations concerning the Pakistani judiciary and government, the court rejected all of Mr Raja’s contentions.
The High Court Judge determined that nine out of ten publications by Mr. Raja were defamatory at UK common law, rejecting them as matters of fact rather than expressions of opinion.
These publications, made in June 2022, included accusations against Brigadier Naseer of election manipulation, political interference, and abuse of power, among others.
Brigadier Naseer denies all allegations. Consequently, Mr. Raja now faces the burden of proving the veracity of each allegation in court.
In a separate application, Mr. Raja sought substantial security costs from Brigadier Naseer, who is based in Pakistan.
However, the Judge rejected this, agreeing instead to a much lower sum of £4,000 as security.
Furthermore, Mr. Raja’s request for anonymity for his witnesses was partially granted, with the court allowing anonymity until witness statements are exchanged, after which further applications will be necessary.
Additionally, Mr. Raja’s application to dismiss the defamation claim on the grounds of insufficient harm was adjourned by the Judge, with agreement from Brigadier Naseer’s legal team.
The lawsuit, initiated by Brigadier Naseer, alleges that Mr. Raja deliberately spread false information to tarnish his reputation and gain from fabricated news on social media.
The campaign against the officer began on June 14, 2022, through tweets and videos on YouTube and Facebook, leading to the filing of the defamation claim on August 11, 2022.
Mr. Raja, who has resided in the UK since April 2022, was represented by Mahtab Anwar Aziz of Central Chambers Law Solicitors, while Brigadier Naseer was represented by Counsel David Lemer of Doughty Street Chambers, alongside Ushrat Sultana and Sadia Qureshi of Stone White Solicitors.
