On November 24, a local court in Peshawar ordered a digital news company to pay Rs20 million to senior journalist Ghulam Dastagir in a damages suit concerning alleged contractual violations and baseless allegations linked to his 2023 employment termination. The ruling includes Rs10 million for breach of contract and Rs10 million for allegations that the court found unsubstantiated.
According to the judgment issued by Additional District Judge Mohammad Khan Yousafzai on November 24, 2025, the court held that Saar Digital, operator of Loksujag.com, committed a contractual violation and caused harm to the plaintiff. The court noted that Dastagir, an established journalist with more than 25 years of experience, was hired in October 2021, and a formal contract began on July 1, 2022.
The court found that on April 3, 2023, the company terminated Dastagir’s employment by email, citing poor performance. The termination occurred hours before he was scheduled to leave for London to attend an international journalism fellowship. Shortly after the email, his official account access was blocked. The court stated that the plaintiff produced credible evidence of a distinguished career, which countered the allegation of poor performance.
The court also noted that the defence had previously been given opportunities to cross-examine the plaintiff but had delayed proceedings. On the day of the hearing, a junior counsel for the company sought adjournment, saying the senior counsel was ill, but no medical certificate was presented. The request was denied.
Dastagir had originally filed the case in October 2023, seeking Rs10 million for alleged breach of contract and Rs90 million for allegations he said caused mental distress. He stated that the termination message aggravated his condition as he was abroad for two months following his departure for the fellowship. He also claimed that the company stopped paying his salary after April 2023, which affected his ability to support his household.
His counsel argued that the company had violated the contractual requirement of one month’s prior notice and had terminated his services without providing an opportunity to respond. The suit stated that Dastagir had never previously been dismissed from any organisation and had worked in national and international media and human rights institutions, producing investigative reports on sensitive topics.
