Pakistani Journalist Naeem Hanif Publicly Apologises to Actress Saba Qamar Over Defamation Notice
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"No one has the right to make false accusations simply to gain attention," says Saba Qamar. |
The journalist said, “I later verified the news, and it was not true, nor did it have any basis in reality. It was against the truth, which hurt her feelings and damaged her character. We apologize for this and the hurt it caused.”
On November 1, 2025, Naeem Hanif participated in a news podcast hosted by Bushra Khan on the RNN Network's YouTube channel. During the discussion, Hanif made derogatory and baseless claims about Saba Qamar's personal life.
Hanif commented on Qamar's public statements about preferring Lahore over Karachi, and also made personal accusations about her character. The journalist falsely claimed that the actress was in a live-in relationship with someone in Lahore.
He also referenced events from the early 2000s, which many viewers deemed inappropriate, sexist, and damaging to the actress's reputation.
Seven Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in Pakistan, Including Journalists #Pakistan #journalists https://t.co/948LyI9fss
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Following the broadcast, Qamar sent a legal notice and shared screenshots of it through a series of Instagram Stories. Saba stated that she had initiated legal action against a journalist for spreading false information.
The legal notice stated that the journalist had "made and disseminated defamatory, sexist, and derogatory statements about the actress's personal and moral character." The notice also stated that Hanif propagated the regressive idea that a woman's achievements are not earned through merit or professionalism, but through her relationships with men.
The notice accused Hanif of causing severe mental anguish and damaging her reputation. It demanded that the journalist remove the sexist and defamatory content within seven days, publicly apologize for his claims, refrain from making any further statements about Qamar's personal and professional life, and pay the actress 100 million rupees in damages.
Following this, Naeem Hanif publicly apologised to the actress, and the controversial podcast episode from November 1, 2025, was removed from the channel.
The actress urged her fellow artists and followers to stand strong against defamation, misinformation, and disrespect on public forums and media platforms. Saba Qamar stated, "No one has the right to make false accusations simply to gain attention."
