MUMBAI: A legal rift raging between two big media groups in Pakistan -- ARY News and Geo TV -- settled recently in a British Court. ARY News lost the legal battle and will have to pay approximately INR 1.58 crore compensation to Geo.

Pakistani newspapers reported that ARY News had been asked by the court to pay the amount to Geo TV chairman Mir Shakeelur Rehman. As per the media reports, the case was filed by Rehman in London's High Court of Justice against ARY News for defaming and threatening him.

The court, after reviewing the legal aspects of the case, gave its verdict and ordered the chairman of ARY News to pay the fine for defaming Rehman. The court, however, rejected the charges of heartening the applicant.

The court mentioned in its decision that, even after giving time to ARY News, it neither withdrew the charges levelled against Geo TV chairman nor sought pardon. The case was heard by Justice Sir David Eddy of the Queen's Bench of High Court of Justice from 1 November to 7 November. On 2 December, the court released its comprehensive verdict.

Rehman filed the case on the basis of ARY's programme 'Khara Sach', in which anchorperson Mubasher Luqman had levelled serious allegations against him (Rehman) damaging the credibility of Geo media group's chairman. He said in his petition that a series of 24 episodes of the said programme was telecast in the UK and other countries.