YouTuber Adil Raja hit with £6,000 court bill
Former army man loses round in UK court clash with brigadier
STATE OF THE NATION
April 18, 2025
A British High Court has ordered a United Kingdom-based YouTuber to pay legal costs in a defamation case brought against him by a retired Pakistani military officer.
Adil Raja, a YouTuber and former major in the Pakistan Army, was ordered to pay £6,100 in legal costs to retired Brigadier Rashid Naseer following a half-day hearing before Master Davison.
The hearing dealt with three preliminary applications in advance of a full trial scheduled for six weeks’ time, according to a report in daily ‘Dawn’.
The court heard arguments on procedural matters, including an application from Raja requesting permission for his witnesses — journalist Shaheen Sehbai, retired Colonel Akbar Hussain, and former PTI accountability czar Mirza Shahzad Akbar — to give evidence remotely. The judge granted the request in principle, noting that testimony via video link from the United States was standard practice, and questioned why a formal application had been necessary.
A second application involved an anonymous witness, whose testimony Raja had initially intended to submit but later withdrew. Although Brigadier Naseer raised no objection to anonymity in principle, the judge declined to make a costs order at this stage, reserving the decision until the conclusion of the trial.
The third application, filed by Naseer, sought a costs order after Raja had delayed payments ordered by a previous court ruling. While Raja’s legal team contended that the outstanding payments had already been settled, the court ruled in Naseer’s favour and ordered Raja to pay £6,100 within 14 days.
Following the hearing, Adil Raja characterised the outcome as a “two to one” win, emphasising the court’s decisions to allow remote witness testimony and to defer ruling on the costs relating to the anonymous witness. He acknowledged, however, the court's order requiring him to pay costs on the third issue.
The case, which centres around allegations made by Raja on his online platforms, is set to proceed to a full trial in late July.