Nadine Osman
The Sun has issued a formal public apology and agreed to pay substantial damages to former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar after publishing false allegations linking him to extremism, radicalisation and violence.
Akhtar, 35, best known for his roles as Chesney Karib in the Channel 4 comedy-drama Shameless and Zeedan Nazir in Coronation Street, was the subject of defamatory articles published by The Sun in November 2025.
The articles, which appeared in print and online, falsely alleged that Akhtar had “backed” and “teamed up with” an Islamic cleric. They also falsely claimed he was associated with extremism, radicalisation and violence, and alleged that he had moved to Pakistan to undertake firearms training.
The reports were published after Akhtar had become more publicly observant in his faith, sharing his journey and practising Islam more openly.
In March 2026, Akhtar instructed media and entertainment law firm Taylor Hampton to issue High Court proceedings against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun, for libel and defamation.
The claim was settled following the exchange of pleadings. On 23 June, The Sun joined Akhtar in making a statement in open court with the permission of the High Court.
As part of the settlement, the newspaper published a full apology, agreed to pay Akhtar substantial damages and his legal costs, and undertook not to repeat the allegations.
In its published statement, The Sun said:
“We now accept that these allegations were entirely false and should never have been published. Mr Akhtar has never endorsed or supported any such views and strongly condemns all forms of extremism and violence.
“He has never been involved in or associated with radicalisation, nor has he, as further falsely claimed, moved to Pakistan and undertaken firearms training.
“We have agreed to pay Mr Akhtar a sum in damages and apologise unreservedly for the serious harm and distress caused to him by the publication of these false allegations.”
One of Akhtar’s lawyers said:
“This was an extremely serious and deeply damaging article which should never have been published.
“The allegations made against Mr Akhtar were entirely false and carried profoundly harmful implications, particularly given the nature of the claims and the wider social climate surrounding extremism.
“Mr Akhtar is a respected actor and public figure who has never supported or endorsed any form of extremism or violence. The article also had the effect of unfairly targeting him because of his religion and identity.
“The Sun and its parent company, News Group Newspapers, have now rightly acknowledged the falsity of these allegations, issued a full apology and agreed to pay damages.”
Akhtar also reflected on the case in a statement posted on Instagram, describing the personal toll the allegations had taken on him.
“The last six months of my life have been very tough, to say the least,” he wrote.
“Some of you may or may not be aware that in November of last year, upon returning from performing my Umrah (pilgrimage), an article was published about me containing false allegations that deeply affected me, my reputation, my family, my safety and my peace of mind.”
He quoted Qur’an 94:6: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.”
Reflecting on his faith, Akhtar added:
“I’d like to think that over the past few years, as I’ve grown closer to my deen and shared parts of my journey with my faith publicly, I have always tried to represent my beautiful religion of Islam with good character, humility and sincerity.”
