Journalist Naeem Hanif has publicly apologized for his controversial statements against actress Saba Qamar.
The apology came after Saba Qamar sent him a legal notice demanding Rs 100 million in damages, claiming that he had made insulting and defamatory allegations regarding her character.
According to the legal notice, Naeem Hanif made and disseminated statements about Saba Qamar that were not only derogatory and gender-biased, but also promoted the idea that a woman’s success is the result of her affiliation with men rather than her hard work or professional ability.
Speaking on the controversy, Naeem Hanif admitted in a podcast that his claims were false. He said that the statements made about Saba Qamar were not based on facts and he sincerely apologized for them.
Saba Qamar quickly responded to the apology by sharing a clip of the podcast on her Instagram story and writing just one word, “Speechless,” which reflects her feelings on the entire matter.
The matter began in November 2025 when Naeem Hanif claimed on his YouTube channel that Saba Qamar had once lived in a house in Walton, Lahore, which was allegedly provided by an unknown person. As soon as these statements came to light, there was a strong reaction in social media and the showbiz industry.
Saba Qamar strongly rejected these allegations, clarifying that she had never lived in Walton and that the statements made against her were baseless and false. She called it an attack on her reputation and character assassination.
During the controversy, several showbiz personalities came out in favor of Saba Qamar. Actress Sahar Khan said in an Instagram story that saying anything about anyone on the internet is unacceptable and such toxic thinking should be questioned.
Saba Qamar herself pointed out Naeem Hanif’s past behavior in several Instagram stories, including statements about actresses Fiza Ali, Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed, and clips of conversations about the late actor Yousuf.
In one post, she alleged that Naeem Hanif had in the past also spread false news, made cheap speeches and ridiculed hard-working people just to gain attention, views and fame.