A London High Court has ruled against Major (retd) Adil Raja in a defamation case filed by former ISI officer Brigadier (retd) Rashid Naseer, declaring the YouTuber’s allegations as false and defamatory. The verdict marks a major legal blow to Raja, who has long faced criticism for promoting baseless narratives and targeting Pakistan’s institutions online.
The UK Court slaps heavy fine on Adil Raja for spreading false, defamatory allegations, ordering him to pay £50,000 (around Rs20 million) in damages and £300,000 (around Rs110 million) in legal costs — a total of nearly Rs130 million. Raja was also directed to issue a public apology, retract all his claims, and publish the court’s judgment summary across his social media platforms confirming that his accusations were entirely false.
The case, heard between June 22 and 27 before Judge Richard Spearman KC, found that Raja’s nine defamatory publications on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube had severely damaged Brig (retd) Rashid Naseer’s reputation.
Raja had accused Naseer of manipulating the Lahore High Court, influencing elections, bribing politicians, and engaging in political horse-trading for former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa. The court categorically rejected all of Raja’s statements as baseless, unsubstantiated, and malicious, noting that his evidence relied on conjecture and conspiracy rather than facts.
The court also dismissed Raja’s attempt to use late journalist Arshad Sharif’s report to justify his claims, clarifying that it did not implicate the ISI or Brig Naseer in any form.
When Raja sought leniency to avoid the fine, the court not only rejected his plea but imposed an additional £3,000 penalty. Judge Spearman observed that none of Raja’s witnesses — including Shaheen Sehbai, Shehzad Akbar, and Syed Akbar Hussain — could provide any credible or consistent evidence to support his accusations.
In his statement following the verdict, Brig (retd) Rashid Naseer said, “This judgment proves that truth always triumphs over lies. Those who spread propaganda and poison for personal gain can no longer hide behind social media screens. Justice has been served — not just for me, but for everyone defamed by such reckless falsehoods.