Director of Islamic centre held for ‘harassing woman’

Zahid Iqbal accused of disseminating explicit images and videos, as well as sending threatening blackmail emails

ABBOTTABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Abbottabad region on Friday arrested the director of an Islamic centre for allegedly sexually harassing a woman.

The FIA Cyber Crime wing took swift action against the suspect Zahid Iqbal, who stands accused of disseminating explicit images and videos, as well as sending threatening blackmail emails to the victim.

The perpetrator used WhatsApp to share objectionable content featuring the victim. The case also involved the accused making threats to the victim using explicit material.

Zahid Iqbal initially deceived the woman by falsely promising marriage, subsequently obtaining objectionable material from her. It is noteworthy that Zahid Iqbal held the position of director at an esteemed Islamic centre located in the upscale area of Islamabad.

During the investigation and forensic analysis of Zahid Iqbal's mobile phone,

Multiple explicit videos of victims were found.

Preliminary findings indicate that the accused had been subjecting the complainant to harassment for nine months.

FIA Abbottabad arrested the accused Zahid Iqbal after the rejection of the Bail Before Arrest (BBA) and the accused was taken into custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2023.