Dr Nauman Niaz sends Rs 1 billion defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar

 Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar is served a Rs 1 billion notice for defamation by Dr. Nauman Niaz: Pakistan’s media world is currently boiling over this latest controversy.

In one of Pakistan’s biggest media disputes, famous sports journalist Dr. Nauman Niaz is said to have sent a 1 billion rupee defamation notice to former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. The notice is a result of a disagreement that occurred live on national TV in 2021, showing that this incident is now part of a new legal conflict between the two favorites and it has renewed a debate that people across the country had about professionalism, respect and good conduct among sports and media figures. How It All Started: A Televised Event That Frightened the Whole Nation The beginning of this dispute goes back to October 26, 2021, when it all unfolded live on PTV Sports' "Game On Hai" show. Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower, Rashid Latif, Umar Gul, Aqib Javed and Sana Mir were part of the distinguished panel in the program. On the show, Shoaib Akhtar exchanged words about Haris Rauf, a growing Pakistani fast bowler and how he began in street cricket before becoming a star in international cricket. Without warning, Dr. Nauman Niaz stopped Akhtar in the middle of a sentence, said he did not approve of Akhtar’s way of speaking and told him to "leave the show" in front of everyone. The event which was streamed live on TV, soon spread like wildfire across social networks. Akhtar tried to calm down the argument at first, but later removed his microphone and walked off stage, saying he had been insulted and humiliated.

The criticism against Dr. Niaz happened right after the story came out. Many felt that what he did on the field was not professional or polite. A lot of people supported Akhtar for remaining calm during the highly awkward encounter. After a short break, PTV removed both people from their television programs as an internal investigation was carried out. At the beginning, individuals apologize and experience tension. Shortly after the incident, Dr. Nauman Niaz released a public apology, admitting that what he did was not right and sorry for causing such a scene. Even so, Shoaib Akhtar kept saying that the comment was both an insult to him personally and a sign of the unkind and unprofessional attitude found in some parts of Pakistani media. Live on-air, Akhtar resigned from PTV, claiming he could not tolerate being disrespected when he did nothing wrong. Many of his supporters and other cricketers praised what he did and some even urged the broadcast industry to be stricter and resolve issues in a better manner. Defamation Case Law: Defamation Notice Given In these past four years, the case has developed in another direction legally. News broke in May 2025 that Shoaib Akhtar received a defamation notice for Rs 1 billion from Dr. Nauman Niaz. Legal files shared by different news outlets show that Dr. Niaz states Akhtar made defamatory comments about him on TV interviews and on social media which hurt both his work and personal life.

The fact that the main incident was talked about widely and that Dr. Niaz later apologized can harm his case, claim legal experts. If the court determines that people formed their view from the video and live tv performance, not Akhtar’s comments weeks later, the court could dismiss the defamation claim. If Akhtar is shown to have twisted or lied about particular things after the incident, he might be made to pay for the injuries caused. It creates discussions about how much freedom of speech is allowed, expected accountability from public figures and what is expected from both media hosts and guests. When people in democracy criticize publicly, it’s important to keep personal attacks and doubtful claims from becoming defamation, as they can often do more damage to reputations or careers. Reactions from the Public and from the Industry Naturally, the new developments in the law have revived interest from the public. The internet discussion is building up around hashtags like ShoaibAkhtar and NaumanNiaz , as people talk about who said what and whose actions were justified. Many are still backing Akhtar because of his honesty, but other people think it is time for the legal process to make a fair ruling. A number of known journalists and former cricketers have also given their opinions. Certain people think talking through the situation and mediating could have helped, but others feel this action was crucial to upholding professional standards in Pakistan's media. At the same time, people working for media freedom and speech rights are paying close attention, concerned that allowing the lawsuit could lead to others facing legal action for criticizing the government.

Conclusions: This Is Just the Beginning The Rs 1 billion defamation notice given by Dr. Nauman Niaz to Shoaib Akhtar represents a new stage in a dispute that has not gone away. An argument on air has now expanded into both a legal and a PR challenge. As time goes on in the legal process, the aftermath from the incident will be felt by both the players involved and by how Pakistan’s media, laws and sports organizations respond to similar disputes. All eyes are currently watching the next actions from both sides. Regardless of whether the dispute is reached privately or in court, how this ends will be seen as a landmark in the history of Pakistan’s media. Post By: Aftab Ahmad