Highlights
- Qasim Akhtar has secured substantial libel damages from News Group Newspapers.
- The case centred on false allegations published by The Sun in November 2025.
- The publisher admitted the claims were untrue, apologised and agreed never to repeat them.
Former Coronation Street actor Qasim Akhtar has been awarded substantial libel damages after settling a High Court claim against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun. The case has attracted widespread attention after the publisher admitted that allegations made against the actor were entirely false. Here's what happened.
What were the allegations against Qasim Akhtar?
The dispute stems from an article published by The Sun in November, which falsely claimed Akhtar had "backed" and "teamed up with" Islamic cleric Uthman ibn Farooq.
The report also alleged that the actor was linked to extremism, radicalisation and violence. It further claimed he had moved to Pakistan and undergone firearms training.
Akhtar, best known for playing Zeedan Nazir in Coronation Street, denied the allegations and later filed a libel claim, arguing that the publication had caused serious harm to his reputation.
Why did The Sun apologise?
Earlier this year, The Sun published an unreserved apology, accepting that the allegations were entirely false.
The newspaper acknowledged that Akhtar had never supported extremist views, had no association with radicalisation and had not travelled to Pakistan for firearms training. During the High Court proceedings, NGN also admitted the article should never have been published and confirmed it would not repeat the allegations.
Akhtar's legal team said the publisher had also failed to seek his response before publishing the story.
What did the court settlement mean?
As part of the settlement, NGN agreed to pay Akhtar substantial damages as well as his legal costs.
According to the actor's lawyer, the false claims caused serious damage to his reputation, affected his family life and forced him to put business opportunities on hold while the matter was being resolved.
In a statement shared on Instagram in June, Akhtar described the previous six months as "very tough to say the least". He said the allegations had "deeply affected me, my reputation, my family, my safety and my peace of mind."
The settlement concludes the legal dispute, with NGN formally accepting responsibility for publishing the false allegations and retracting them in full.
