Makeup artist Omayr Waqar issues legal notice of his own after Sana Javed’s defamation notice

Makeup artist Omayr Waqar has issued a counter legal notice to actor Sana Javed after her issuance of a defamation notice to him. He posted pictures of the notice on his Instagram account on Monday evening.

The move comes shortly after Javed issued Waqar and two other people defamation notices. She claimed their social media posts were about her and were part of a “proper smear campaign” against her.

It all started when model Manal Saleem took to Instagram to share her experience working with an actor who belittled her. Saleem had originally written, “Requesting all the clients to not ask me to shoot with any actress/celebrity ever again. With their self entitled attitudes they think we are ‘do takay ki [two bit] models’. The audacity to say that on my face! Hum bhi kam krne atay hain, muft main zaleel honay nahi atay [We come here to work, not to be insulted for free].” Her Instagram story has since expired but is available in highlights section of her Instagram account. She did not name the actor in question.

Her post was shared by Waqar, among a number of other people. On his story, Waqar wrote, “guess who is she [Manal] talking about? P.S it’s just one person, not all actresses are the same,” but did not name any actor. The story has since expired.

Saleem’s post also spurred posts by makeup artists Ikram Gohar and Rhyan Thomas, who named her in their posts and spoke about their “horrible” experiences with her. Javed did not issue legal notices to them. More claims of her alleged bad behaviour have since surfaced. Makeup artist Wajid Khan wrote that Javed “should focus more on her acting rather than playing games with people”. Syed Hussain, who happens to be the MUA who was hired to style Saleem and Javed for the shoot mentioned in Saleem’s original post, has corroborated the model’s story.

Javed posted pictures of notices she sent Waqar, Saleem and model Aneela Murtaza on Friday. In his counter notice, Waqar’s legal team called the contents of Javed’s notice “concocted”.

“That the contents of paragraph 2 are denied as concocted. It is submitted that at no point did our client name your client and has no nexus whatsoever with Manal Salem whatsoever,” read the notice. “Our client had nothing to do with what was said by Ms Saleem and the fact that an allegation of innuendo has been placed on our client suggests that your client has presumed the same without any evidence or proof of the same that our clients’ social media post was targeted towards her. Moreover, our client is a well known and sought after makeup artist a fact which is well known to your client and as such there arises no need on the part of our client to seek publicity and accordingly, all such frivolous claims are denied as being incorrect and misconceived.”

The makeup artist also denied defaming Javed. “It is a well known fact that the entire social media is brimming with stories about your client and her demeanour in general, which has nothing to do with our client and as such this notice is nothing but a feeble attempt to harass and coerce our client from exercising his freedom of expression guaranteed to him under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” his notice read.

“It is submitted that our client never mentioned or stated your client’s name on any social media outlet and mere presumption his posts on social media were targeted towards your client are nothing but an attempt to harass our client. Needless to add, the general outbreak in respect of your client’s demeanour on social media suggests that this notice is a feeble attempt to salvage some pride,” it added.

He has asked Javed to withdraw her notice and refrain from taking any further action against him. “Needless to add, our client shall also defend any frivolous claims brought against him by your client through witnesses and evidences well known to your client.”