Lahore court grants interim bail to PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar in Momina Iqbal harassment case

A sessions court in Lahore on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Saqib Chadhar in a harassment case involving actor Momina Iqbal and restrained authorities from arresting him until June 24.

Additional Sessions Judge Irfan Ahmed Sheikh approved the interim bail after hearing arguments from both sides. Chadhar was represented by Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq.

The case was registered on Thursday by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on a complaint filed by Iqbal. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Chadhar and his wife were accused of engaging in a sustained campaign of cyber harassment, stalking, intimidation and blackmail against the actor.

The FIR alleged that after Iqbal rejected a marriage proposal from Chadhar, she was subjected to repeated threats, attempts to access her private data and blackmail involving alleged private videos. It further claimed that the accused sought to damage her personal and professional reputation and interfere with her marriage plans.

According to the complaint, the accused and their associates carried out a coordinated campaign of cyber harassment, criminal intimidation, unlawful surveillance and defamation targeting both Iqbal and her family.

The FIR also alleged that an explicit video of the complainant was shared without her consent and was later recovered during the investigation. As part of the inquiry, investigators seized digital devices and storage media for forensic examination.

Read: Punjab CM Maryam warns against harassment, misuse of influence in actor–MPA case

Authorities said a technical analysis of the complainant's mobile phone uncovered threatening and derogatory messages. The FIR further alleged that messages containing threats and abusive language were sent from devices linked to the accused.

Investigators also alleged that the accused obtained the complainant's call data records (CDRs) without authorisation and used the information to harass and intimidate her. The FIR stated that devices submitted by the accused showed signs of data deletion prior to forensic examination, although investigators said communications and other evidence were later recovered from seized digital media.

The FIR concluded that the accused had prima facie committed offences by unlawfully accessing, copying and sharing digital data, distributing explicit content without consent, issuing life threats and attempting to destroy or conceal digital evidence. It added that the role of other alleged associates would be determined during the course of the investigation.

The case was registered under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, as amended in 2025, as well as several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Under Sections 3 and 4 of PECA, the allegations related to unauthorised access to information systems and interference with data or information systems. Sections 21(b) and 21(c) pertained to offences against the dignity of a natural person and the dissemination of false or obscene information intended to harm or intimidate the victim.

Section 24(d) related to cyberstalking and repeated electronic harassment, while Section 506 of the PPC covered allegations of criminal intimidation and death threats. Section 201 PPC pertained to allegations of destroying evidence or providing false information to shield offenders, including the alleged deletion of digital data before forensic analysis.

The FIR also invoked Sections 34 and 109 of the PPC, which relate to common intention and abetment, alleging the coordinated involvement of multiple individuals in the commission of the alleged offences.

The case

Iqbal, on May 20, took to social media, claiming that she had been facing online harassment, cyberbullying, and death threats for a long time. She alleged that she and her family had endured severe mental stress and trauma due to the individual involved.

In a message shared on her Instagram story, Momina, without naming anyone, alleged that an MPA associated with the PML-N had been issuing threats to her for an extended period. She added that she had repeatedly reported the matter to the NCCIA and the Federal Investigation Agency, but no action was taken.

The actor appealed to CM Maryam, saying she believed the chief minister "will take unbiased and lawful action against anyone found involved in abuse of power or obstruction of justice."

Three days later, the actor filed a formal complaint with the Lahore police, accusing Chadhar and his alleged accomplices of cyber harassment, criminal intimidation, blackmail, defamatory campaigns and interference in her marriage.

According to a copy of the complaint submitted to police on May 22, the actor alleged that Chadhar had subjected her to “continuous harassment, death threats, and psychological torture” after she rejected his marriage proposal and ended ties with him in 2022.

The application, filed at the Chung Police Station, states that the suspect allegedly used threatening calls, WhatsApp messages, fake social media activity, and AI-generated images to intimidate the actor and damage her reputation ahead of her upcoming marriage.

The complaint further alleged that the suspect repeatedly threatened to kill her if she refused to marry him. One of the alleged messages cited in the application stated: “Don’t force me … even your dead body will not be found.”

The actor also alleged that during a meeting at Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore in December 2024, the suspect again threatened her, warning that she would be killed if she married someone else.

According to the complaint, the situation escalated earlier this month after the actor’s engagement was finalised. The application claimed that explicit and AI-edited photographs were sent to her WhatsApp number from unknown contacts in an attempt to blackmail her and sabotage the marriage.

The complaint stated that similar material was also sent to her sister, while threatening calls were allegedly made to members of her fiancé’s family. Momina further alleged that her fiancé, currently residing in Karachi, also received repeated calls and threatening messages from unidentified numbers and social media accounts linked to the accused.

The application accused the lawmaker of using political influence and connections within the ruling party to pressure the actor and obstruct action on previous complaints. She requested the police to register a criminal case against the lawmaker, his wife and other alleged facilitators, provide security to her family, and initiate immediate legal proceedings.

Responding to Iqbal's previous call for help, Maryam Nawaz said the matter involving a PML-N Member of the Provincial Assembly and a prominent media personality was “a personal issue” and would be addressed strictly on merit and in accordance with the law.

The chief minister further warned against any attempt to exert pressure or misuse influence through threats of releasing personal content, saying any such action would be met with firm and uncompromising action.