Agreement states matter fully resolved, clarifies signing should not be treated as admission of guilt by either party
After an exchange of legal notices, actors Mamya Shajaffar and Arslan Butt reached an amicable settlement over their dispute involving allegations of workplace harassment. Shajaffar reportedly made the allegations against Butt during a podcast appearance in May.
Both actors shared the agreement on their social media accounts, outlining the terms of their resolution. The settlement, signed on June 19, stated that “certain misunderstandings, differences and controversy arose between the parties, including matters relating to personal statements, communications, legal notices, complaints, and proceedings initiated or contemplated before various forums and institutions.”
According to the agreement, Shajaffar and Butt voluntarily decided to resolve the issue “in the presence and with the assistance of respectable elders, well-wishers and mutual mediators.” It added that the parties “hereby declare that the matter relating to alleged workplace harassment has been amicably resolved and settled, and the parties have agreed to put the same behind them.”
“Both parties confirmed that the matter has been fully and finally settled,” the document stated.
The agreement further clarified that “no claim, allegation, ambiguity, misunderstanding, grievance or dispute now remained pending between the parties,” according to the joint statement issued by Shajaffar and Butt.
It noted that all past events, allegations, statements, complaints, notices, legal communications, and disputes had been mutually forgiven, withdrawn, settled, and brought to an end, clarifying that the signing of the agreement should not be “treated as an admission of guilt, liability, misconduct or wrongdoing by either party.”
Further, as per the document, neither party would make defamatory, hostile, or threatening comments against the other, with both Shajaffar and Butt cooperating in withdrawing, closing, and not pursuing, or otherwise rendering infructuous any complaint, application, notice, claim, or proceeding filed by either party against the other.
The legal dispute began shortly after Shajaffar appeared on a podcast in which she claimed that a person identified only as “Arsalan” had made her feel “uncomfortable” on a set. After the revelation, social media users began speculating that Shajaffar was referring to her College Gate co-star Arsalan Khan. Amid the rumours, Shajaffar clarified that the person she referred to was not Khan.
Butt’s connection to the allegations stemmed from comments made by podcast host Iffat Omar, who mentioned his name during the discussion. Following the episode, Butt sent Shajaffar a legal notice over what he described as “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” remarks. He claimed that the statements had caused him “serious reputational damage, mental distress, humiliation, and public embarrassment.”
The notice demanded that Shajaffar retract her statement, take steps to remove the allegedly defamatory content, and issue an unconditional public apology and retraction on YouTube. It also asked her to refrain from repeating the allegations in the future.
Shajaffar responded with a counter-notice seeking Rs1 billion in damages, describing Butt’s legal action as false, misconceived, mala fide, and legally defective, allegedly intended to pressure, intimidate, and silence her following what she claimed were acts of harassment.