UK court orders YouTuber Adil Raja to pay legal costs in defamation case

LONDON: A London high court on Wednesday ordered a UK-based YouTuber to pay legal costs in a defamation case brought against him by a retired Pakistani military officer.

Adil Raja, the YouTuber who served as a major in the Pakistan Army, was ordered to pay £6,100 in legal costs to retired Brigadier Rashid Naseer after a half-day hearing held before Master Davison.

The proceedings addressed three preliminary applications ahead of a full trial, scheduled to take place in six weeks.

The court heard submissions on procedural matters, including an application by Raja seeking permission for his witnesses — including journalist Shaheen Sehbai, retired Col Akbar Hussain, and former PTI accountability czar Mirza Shahzad Akbar — to give evidence remotely. The judge allowed the request in principle, but noted that remote testimony from the US was a routine matter and questioned the need for a formal application.

A second application involved an anonymous witness, whose testimony Raja had intended to present but later withdrew. Although Rashid Naseer had no objection to the principle of anonymity, the judge declined to order costs immediately, leaving the matter to be decided at the end of the trial.

The third application was filed by Naseer, seeking an order for costs after Raja had delayed payments from a prior court ruling. While Raja’s legal team argued that previous payments had already been made, the court ruled in Naseer’s favour and ordered Raja to pay £6,100 within 14 days.

Following the hearing, Adil Raja described the outcome as a “two to one” win, highlighting the judge’s decisions to permit remote testimony and defer cost rulings on the withdrawn witness, though acknowledging the order for him to pay costs on the third issue.

The case, which centres around allegations made by Raja on his online platforms, will proceed to a full trial in late July.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025