ISLAMABAD  –  Actress Saba Qamar secured a public apology from journalist Naeem Hanif following false, defamatory remarks he made about her on a podcast video released on November 3, 2025. In the podcast, Hanif alleged that Saba Qa­mar used men to acquire property and claimed that she had lived with a man outside of marriage in Lahore to ob­tain a house. In response, Saba Qamar filed a defamation suit seeking Rs100 million, asserting that Naeem Hanif’s allegations were entirely false and damaging to her personal and profes­sional reputation. She said she had ‘taken legal action against a journalist who spread false and baseless claims about me’. Asking fans and industry fellows to stand up to defamation and disrespect, she told them to hold such people accountable. ‘No one,’ the star said, ‘has the right to make false ac­cusations just for attention.’ The no­tice claimed the journalist had ‘made and disseminated defamatory, sexist and derogatory statements concern­ing Saba Qamar’s personal and moral character’. It accused him of peddling the ‘regressive notion that a woman’s achievements are not earned through merit or professionalism but through association with men.’ The notice also criticized Naeem Hanif’s tone, stating his statements ‘fell short of all journalistic standards’, accusing Hanif of causing severe mental agony and loss of reputation. It demanded the journalist take the sexist and defama­tory content down within seven days, to publicly apolo­gise for his claims, refrain from making any further statements on Saba Qamar’s personal and professional life and pay to ac­tress Rs100 million in damages. The November 1 podcast video has since been taken down from the channel and following legal pressure, Naeem Hanif publicly retracted his state­ments, acknowledging that his claims were completely baseless and apolo­gising to Saba Qamar. ‘I verified that news later, and it wasn’t correct, and neither was there any truth in it. It was contrary to the truth, which hurt her sentiments and tarnished her character. We are sorry for this and the hurt it caused.’ he said on the same podcast. The case has drawn atten­tion to a broader issue in Pakistan’s media landscape, where women in the entertainment industry and other professions are frequently maligned by male commentators. Experts say that men often attempt to under­mine successful women by spread­ing false claims about their personal lives, reflecting deep-seated gender biases, envy and projection of their own incompetence. Saba Qamar once again sets a precedent on how to use privilege to protect women’s rights, as she has consistently done through her choice of projects. While many contemporaries have followed patri­archal norms of playing stereotypi­cal ornamental, glamorous roles, she has deliberately chosen projects that are sensitive and awareness-based, and through this legal action, she has done a service to working women who are often subjected to charac­ter assassination as a result of envy for economic opportunities. Women in power roles and positions of priv­ilege must make choices that use their influence responsibly, chal­lenge systemic inequities, and cre­ate opportunities or protections for those who are often marginalized or silenced. Legal observers note that this case marks a rare instance of a female showbiz professional taking a stand against public defamation and achieving accountability. Simi­lar legal action was taken in 2025 against podcaster Omar Adil, who faced charges for making derogatory claims about journalists and actress­es that fell under character assassina­tion. Saba Qamar’s legal victory is be­ing seen as a potential precedent for other women in media and entertain­ment to challenge defamatory narra­tives and demand accountability from content creators who spread false information and take away impunity from those who resort to making baseless allegations for views, money and relevance.