Demands apology and calls on academic to remove all content within deadline or face legal consequences
Religious scholar Allama Nasir Madani and actress Momina Iqbal. Photo: Files
Actress Momina Iqbal on Wednesday sent a legal notice to religious scholar Nasir Madani demanding Rs 190 million in damages, retraction of her statement and a public apology within a week for allegedly derogatory remarks shared through a Meta video that recently went viral.
In the widely circulated video, the academic allegedly described the actress as “satanic” and “greedy”, accusing her of accepting several financial benefits before filing harassment allegations against Punjab MP Saqib Chadhar.
The notice pointed out and emphasized that the statements had seriously damaged Momina’s reputation, led to mental agony and promoted public defamation.
The legal notice, sent by 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 academic repeatedly attacked his character in social media posts.
According to the notice, these comments 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 his statements, apologize and remove any harmful content about Momina within the stipulated deadline or face legal consequences.
“I won’t forgive you”
Before posting the legal notice, Momina strongly criticized Madani’s comments on an Instagram story and said she would not forgive him.
“Accusations made against someone without proof and harming their honor constitute serious sins according to Islam,” she said.
Referring to verses from the Quran, the actress shared a consolidated belief that “justice would be done.”
Momina, on May 20, took to social media, saying she has been facing online harassment, cyberbullying and death threats for a long time. In a post shared on her Instagram story, Momina alleged that a PML-N-associated MPA Chadhar had been threatening her for a prolonged period. She added that she had reported the matter several times to the NCCIA and the Federal Investigation Agency, but no action had been taken.
The actor appealed to CM Maryam, saying she believed the chief minister would “take impartial and legal action against anyone involved in abuse of power or obstruction of justice”.
Three days later, the actor filed a formal complaint with the Lahore police, accusing Chadhar and his alleged accomplices of cyberstalking, criminal intimidation, blackmail, smear campaigns and interference in his marriage.
Responding to Momina’s earlier plea for help, Maryam Nawaz said the matter involving an MP and a prominent media personality was “a personal matter” and would be handled strictly on merits and in accordance with the law.
The chief minister further warned against any attempt to exert pressure or undue influence by threatening to leak personal content, saying any such action would result in firm and uncompromising action.
