23/07/2026 Akhtar's lawyers confirmed that News Group Newspapers agreed to pay him substantial damages over the false claims. The former Coronation Street and Shameless actor had sued in March 2026, and the publisher accepted the article caused serious harm to his reputation and great distress.
25/06/2026 The Sun publisher, News Group Newspapers, issued a public apology to actor Qasim Akhtar after a High Court libel claim was settled. The newspaper had falsely linked him to Islamic extremism, radicalisation and violence in an article published in November 2025, and it also wrongly claimed he had moved to Pakistan and undertaken firearms training. The settlement included damages and his legal costs, and The Sun agreed not to repeat the allegations.
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