"I verified that news later, and it wasn’t correct."
Journalist Naeem Hanif has issued a public apology to actor Saba Qamar after facing legal action over remarks made during a podcast appearance.
The apology followed a legal notice sent by Qamar, who accused Hanif of spreading defamatory and baseless claims about her personal life.
The controversy began after Hanif appeared on a news podcast on November 1, 2025, streamed on the RNN Network YouTube channel.
During that discussion, he commented on Qamar’s public remarks about preferring Lahore over Karachi, while making personal allegations against her character.
He also made remarks referencing the early 2000s, which many viewers described as inappropriate, sexist, and damaging to the actor’s reputation.
Following the broadcast, Qamar served a legal notice and shared screenshots of it through a series of Instagram stories.
In her message, the star stated she had initiated legal proceedings against a journalist for spreading false narratives.
She urged fellow artists and followers to stand firmly against defamation, misinformation, and disrespect within public discourse and media platforms.
Qamar emphasised that no individual has the right to make accusations for attention or ratings at the cost of someone’s dignity.
The legal notice accused Hanif of promoting regressive thinking by undermining a woman’s professional success through alleged personal associations.
It further stated that his language and conduct failed to meet basic journalistic ethics and caused emotional distress and reputational harm.
The notice demanded removal of the objectionable content, a public apology, restraint from future commentary, and damages amounting to 100 million rupees.
Soon after receiving the notice, the podcast video was removed from the RNN Network YouTube channel.
On January 6, 2026, Hanif appeared on another podcast hosted by Bushran Khan, which aired on the same network’s platform.
During the conversation, he was given space to address the controversy and respond directly to the allegations raised by Qamar.
Hanif admitted that the video contained false claims about Qamar’s alleged personal relationship.
He said during the podcast: “I verified that news later, and it wasn’t correct, and neither was there any truth in it.”
He added that the incorrect information contradicted facts, hurt Qamar’s sentiments, and negatively impacted her public image.
Naeem Hanif apologised, acknowledging responsibility for the misinformation and expressing regret for the harm caused.
Qamar later reacted to the apology by sharing a clip of it on her Instagram story.
She captioned the post with the single word “Speechless,” offering no further comment on the matter.
The initial podcast also included derogatory remarks about actors Natasha Ali and Mishi Khan, drawing criticism from viewers and industry observers.
Many social media users praised Saba Qamar for pursuing legal recourse and setting a precedent against defamatory public narratives.
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