Demands an apology, calls on the researcher to remove all content within the stipulated period or face legal consequences
Religious scholar Allama Nasir Madani and actress Momina Iqbal. Photo: Files
Actress Momina Iqbal on Wednesday issued a legal notice to religious scholar Nasir Madani demanding damages of Rs 190 million, withdrawal of statements and public apology within a week for allegedly derogatory remarks shared through a Meta video that recently went viral.
In the widely circulated video, the scholar allegedly described the actress as “satanic” and “greedy” and accused her of accepting several financial benefits before filing harassment charges against Punjab MPA Saqib Chadhar.
The notice stressed and highlighted that the statements seriously damaged Momina’s reputation, led to mental agony and promoted public character assassination.
The legal notice, sent through lawyer Adnan Ahsan Khan, claimed that comments made by Madani on June 14 and 15 regarding the actor were “highly defamatory, scandalous, humiliating and derogatory” and the scholar repeatedly attacked her character in social media messages.
According to the notice, the remarks constitute an offense under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 and the Pakistan Penal Code 1860.
The notice called on Madani to publicly retract the statements, issue an apology and remove all malicious content about Momina within the stipulated time or face legal consequences.
“I Won’t Forgive You”
Before issuing the legal notice, Momina strongly criticized Madani’s remarks on an Instagram story and said she would not forgive him.
“Accusations hurled against someone without proof that damage to a person’s honor are serious sins according to Islam,” she said.
Referring to the verses of the Quran, the actress shared a consolidated belief that “justice would be done”.
Momina took to social media on May 20 and claimed that she had been subjected to online harassment, cyberbullying and death threats for a long time. In a message shared on her Instagram story, Momina alleged that an MPA Chadhar affiliated with PML-N had been issuing threats against her for a long period of time. She added that she had repeatedly reported the matter to the NCCIA and the Federal Investigation Agency, but no action was taken.
Appealing to CM Maryam, the actor said she believed the chief minister “will take impartial and legal action against anyone involved in abuse of power or obstruction of justice.”
Three days later, the actor lodged a formal complaint with the Lahore police accusing Chadhar and his alleged accomplices of cyber harassment, criminal intimidation, extortion, defamatory campaigns and interference in her marriage.
Responding to Momina’s earlier call for help, Maryam Nawaz said the case involving an MPA and a prominent media personality was “a personal matter” and would be dealt with strictly on merit and in accordance with the law.
The chief minister further warned against any attempt to exert pressure or abuse influence through threats to release personal content, saying any such action would be met with firm and uncompromising action.
