Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has weighed in on the controversy surrounding veteran actor Mohammed Ahmed, calling the incident on the set of a drama serial “not only condemnable but highly deplorable” in a post on X.
Tarar wrote, “What happened with Muhammad Ahmed saheb, Senior TV Artist on the set of a drama serial is not only condemnable but highly deplorable. I would like to offer a solution in the form of a mentorship program for young tv artists headed by senior tv artists like Ahmed sb or a council on the same format. Would be calling a meeting of tv artists to give suggestions in this regard.”
Tarar proposed a mentorship programme for young television artists to be headed by senior actors like Ahmed, or alternatively a council following the same format. He stated that a meeting of TV artists would be called to gather suggestions on the matter.
The minister’s post comes amid backlash after actor Fahad Sheikh denied disrespecting Syed Muhammad Ahmed Saheb in a video that went viral on Wednesday, claiming that what appeared to be bullying “was not the case to begin with.”
The clip, widely shared on social media, shows Sheikh and other cast members laughing at Ahmed on set while using a pocket-sized fan to blow at his hair.
The video surfaced after Ahmed gave an interview in which he revealed that an actor some 40 years his junior had disrespected him on set. Appearing on the Dareecha podcast with Sheeba Khan, Ahmed recounted an incident on the set where a much younger actor began ridiculing him.
He described the actor as the show’s lead, who spoke loudly to assert his importance in the room.
Ahmed also recalled a separate incident during a shoot where the actor grabbed a portable fan from a colleague and used it on his head like a hairdryer, shouting to those around, “Look, I am styling his hair!” He explained that he chose not to react at the time, noting that everyone carries a mobile phone now and such moments often get shared online without context, something he did not want to encourage.
Several industry figures spoke up in support of Ahmed following the interview, including Faysal Quraishi and Shamoon Abbasi, both of whom called on the unnamed actor to come forward and apologise.
Sheikh addressed the backlash on Wednesday evening, saying that, “Half cooked stories are always dangerous because they are used to set a narrative.” He described the atmosphere on set as one where the cast “bond like a family who laughs together, eat with each other and share grievances.”
