Why Was Qasim Akhtar Falsely Accused of Training With Guns? The Sun Ordered To Pay Damages to 'Coronation Street' Star

Former 'Coronation Street' actor Qasim Akhtar has won a defamation case against The Sun after the newspaper admitted in the High Court that it had falsely linked him to Islamic extremism and firearms training.

The paper has now issued an unreserved apology, agreed to pay substantial damages and legal costs, and confirmed it will not repeat the allegations.

The settlement brings an end to a months-long legal battle that began after the newspaper published articles in November 2025 claiming Akhtar had associated himself with an extremist cleric, supported radicalisation and violence, and travelled to Pakistan for firearms training.

Those claims have now been publicly withdrawn.

How the False Allegations Against Qasim Akhtar Began

The allegations stemmed from reports published shortly after Akhtar had publicly spoken about becoming more committed to his Islamic faith following his Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

According to statements released after the legal settlement, the newspaper falsely claimed that Akhtar had 'backed' and 'teamed up with' an Islamic cleric and suggested he was connected to extremism, radicalisation and violence.

It also alleged that he had relocated to Pakistan and received firearms training.

Following legal proceedings in the High Court, The Sun acknowledged that every one of those allegations was false.

In its apology, the newspaper accepted that Akhtar had never supported extremism or violence, had never been involved in radicalisation, and had never travelled to Pakistan to undertake firearms training.

A Successful Defamation Claim

Akhtar instructed media lawyers to bring a libel action against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, arguing that the reports had caused serious damage to both his reputation and his personal life.

The claim was settled before trial. As part of the agreement, the newspaper issued a formal apology, agreed to pay damages and legal costs, and confirmed it would not repeat the allegations.

Lawyers representing Akhtar described the original reports as 'extremely serious and deeply damaging,' noting that the allegations carried particularly harmful implications given their association with terrorism and extremism.

Qasim Akhtar Speaks Out

Following the settlement, Akhtar revealed that the previous six months had been among the most difficult of his life.

In a statement shared on social media, the actor said the false allegations had affected not only his reputation but also his family, safety and peace of mind.

'Upon deep reflection, I now see a lot of my prayers were being answered, but not in a way that was befitting to me and how I wanted them to be, but only in a way befitting to The Almighty and what He knows I needed to go through,' he wrote.

He explained that, in recent years, he had chosen to share more of his faith publicly in the hope of presenting what he described as the true values of Islam, which are peace, humility and sincerity.

Rather than responding with anger, Akhtar said he chose forgiveness after the newspaper accepted responsibility and publicly cleared his name.

'Forgiveness is a staple in my religion,' he wrote. 'Islam teaches that forgiveness will take you so much further than harbouring hate and anger towards those who have wronged you, and that ultimately God is in control of everything.'

'On that basis, I forgive you and I thank you for being complicit, admitting your faults and dealing with this in a moral and ethical manner,' Akhtar added.

He thanked his legal team for helping restore his reputation and said he was grateful that 'justice has been served publicly.'

From 'Coronation Street' to the Courtroom

Akhtar is best known to television audiences for playing Zeedan Nazir in ITV's 'Coronation Street', a role he portrayed between 2015 and 2018. Before joining the long-running soap, he appeared as Chesney Karib in Channel 4's 'Shameless', establishing himself as a familiar face on British television.

Although he has since stepped away from 'Coronation Street', Akhtar has remained active in the entertainment industry while increasingly speaking about his personal faith and charitable work.

Clearing His Name

The outcome of the case represents a significant victory for Akhtar, who argued that the false reports had associated him with criminality and extremism despite there being no factual basis for the claims.

The settlement means the claims that Akhtar trained with guns in Pakistan have now been publicly discredited, with The Sun formally accepting they should never have been published.

For the former 'Coronation Street' star, the settlement closes a difficult chapter while publicly restoring his reputation after months of living under the shadow of allegations that should never have been published.