KARACHI: Pakistani actor Saba Qamar has addressed the controversy surrounding her appearance in a police uniform after a petition was filed seeking the registration of a case against her for allegedly wearing official attire without permission.
In an Instagram story, Qamar shared a screenshot of a news report about the petition, along with a copy of a letter dated September 30, 2021, that she said was sent to the deputy inspector general of Lahore operations. The letter requested approval to purchase and use a police uniform for a DGPR Punjab project intended to promote a positive image of Pakistan.
Commenting on the matter, the actor described the petition as an attempt to gain publicity by exploiting her public profile. She asked critics to look elsewhere for attention and said her success was the result of consistent hard work, urging others to focus on their own journeys.
The controversy emerged after a petition was filed in a Lahore court claiming Qamar appeared in a video wearing a Punjab Police uniform without prior authorisation, which the petitioner argued was a violation of rules governing official attire.
The plea was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Ilyas Rehan, where the petitioner, Wasim Zawar, alleged that Qamar appeared in a dressing room wearing a police uniform with an SP rank badge in a video circulating on social media. He maintained that wearing such attire requires a no-objection certificate from police authorities.
The petitioner told the court that he had earlier approached the Old Anarkali police station for the registration of a case but received no response. After hearing preliminary arguments, the court adjourned the matter until January 14.
