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Actor Faysal Quraishi has apologised for hurting the sentiments of the legal community in his HUM TV drama Zulm after the Karachi Bar Association issued an official statement condemning the drama and demanding an apology from him and HUM TV owner Sultana Siddiqui.

Zulm is described by HUM TV as a “thrilling saga of continuous battle against injustice and power”. Quraishi stars alongside Sahar Hashmi and Shehzad Sheikh as a powerful but morally corrupt man who uses his position to punish a young woman who rejects him.

In the drama, Quraishi often denigrates his legal team and other lawyers by calling them — among other things — two-bit lawyers.

“The Cabinet of the Karachi Bar Association has been informed via HUM TV about the drama Zulm, where [Faysal Quraishi] used inappropriate language against the legal fraternity, which is deeply contemptuous,” read the statement issued by the lawyers’ association on April 20 and co-signed by General Secretary Ikhtiar Ali Channa and Human Rights Committee Chairman Zahid Hussain Soomro. “Consequently, the Karachi Bar Association demands an apology from Mr [Faysal Quraishi] and urges the owner of HUM TV to tender it at the Karachi Bar Association promptly, as the reputation of the legal fraternity has been adversely affected.”

The statement contended that the reputation of the legal fraternity had been tarnished by the “actions of [Faysal Quraishi], the producer Momina Duraid, and others involved in the mentioned drama serial therefore, the Karachi Bar Association demands apologies from [Faysal Quraishi] the owner of HUM TV Sultana [Siddiqui], and others involved in the drama serial”.

The association threatened legal action if its demand for an apology was not met.

“A lot of mayhem ensued after a notification was issued,” Quraishi said in his Instagram video, adding that he was met with dozens of messages from fans and friends alike. He thanked lawyer Kaiser Khan Nizamani who called him to ask what had happened.

“As an actor it isn’t our fault, we read out what’s written. But yes there were a lot of things that, personally, I said I wouldn’t say, we wouldn’t say, but sometimes, things slip out that can be cut [from the drama] down the line, but instead went on air, which caused some strife with our brothers in the legal community,” he said.

“I’m very sorry if someone was hurt, personally I don’t like hurting people, because I am part of this society and if someone talks about me I also get hurt.”