Nadia Khan to counter file Rs500m defamation notice against Sharmila Faruqi

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Sharmila Faruqi’s legal team served popular television host Nadia Khan Rs50 million defamation notice on Saturday for her controversial video featuring the prior's mother. In retaliation, the TV host has also taken to her Instagram to share that her lawyers are in the process of sending Sharmila a counter defamation suit of Rs500 million.

Speaking on a similar tangent as the politician, Nadia claims that the latter’s reaction is in fact, a consequence of her desire for attention, contrary to her claim about Nadia stirring “controversy to get noticed.”

In the post announcing her response, Nadia wrote, “My lawyers are sending a legal notice to Sharmila Faruqui, suing her for Rs500 million for defamation and using insulting remarks for a woman.” She added, “Had Sharmila done even a single good deed for any needy woman or a helpless child, which I wish she had, she would’ve still gotten the media and our attention.” Her caption read: “Fight for justice and fight for women, nobody can insult us!”

On the other hand, Sharmila’s notice gives Nadia 15 days to not only retract her remarks but also issue an apology along with paying the compensation money. “My client is a well-reputed politician and you have tainted her persona as a result of the abovementioned video. It is a well-known fact that anyone who runs a YouTube channel gets remuneration for views and engagement. Hence, by posting hate speech against my client, you are trying to create a controversy just to get noticed,” her notice reads. Adding, “it is unfortunate” that a known media professional like Nadia, “is posting with such reckless disregard.”

Nadia had landed in hot waters after engaging in a conversation with Anisa Farooqi for a video that sees her ‘complimenting’ her makeup and sense of style. The compliments did not sit well with Sharmila and a lot of viewers who reserved that Nadia was being sarcastic.

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