‘I Was Wrong’, Mahira Khan Expresses Regret Over Controversial Tweet About Khalil ur Rehman Qamar

Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan recently appeared on a podcast hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt, where she reflected on the controversy involving herself and well-known writer Khalil ur Rehman Qamar. Mahira admitted that her frustrated tweet aimed at Khalil was a mistake and said, “Yes, I think I did wrong, I should have texted him first.”

The dispute between Mahira and Khalil began after the writer verbally attacked human rights activist Marvi Sirmed on a live show for her feminist views. Khalil expressed strong displeasure toward Mahira’s tweet, describing it as ‘cheap’ and insisted that she should have contacted him privately instead of sharing her opinion on social media.

During the podcast, Mahira was asked about Khalil’s suggestion that she should have reached out to him first via message. She humbly agreed and acknowledged that her initial reaction was not ideal, saying she should have approached him through a call or text.

Mahira explained, “We were never friends, but I did Sadqay Tumhare, which was his story, and we did it with love. If you think I did wrong, yes, I did—I should have texted him. He is right; I could have asked him directly, but that was my mistake.” She added that she was shooting for Neelofar when she saw the news at 4 a.m. and was shocked by the abusive language Khalil used toward a woman. For her, it did not matter who the woman was.

Mahira also mentioned that fear of losing jobs prevents many from calling out influential figures. She said, “I saw it, I got angry, and I tweeted.” She shared that her mother advised her she was wrong and suggested, “He was senior; you should have asked him first. And if the next day someone would have questioned you, you could say that you don’t agree with that.”

Mahira Khan concluded by saying that while this was one incident, similar situations have happened multiple times, and she cannot separate the artist from the person. “Yes, I could have handled it differently,” Mahira admitted.