Lahore court disposes of Chadhar's bail plea as new IO says no arrest needed in Momina Iqbal case

Lahore district court on Thursday disposed of the pre-arrest interim bail petitions of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Saqib Chadhar and his wife after their counsel withdrew the pleas following a major shift in the investigation into television actor Momina Iqbal’s alleged harassment case.

The development came after the new Investigating Officer (IO) Hassan Sajjad Naqvi told the court that the suspects’ arrest was not required at the present stage.

This stood in contrast to the position taken by the previous IO, National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Station House Officer Najam Bajwa, who had told the sessions court on July 28 that Chadhar had been found guilty during the investigation.

Following the new IO’s statement, Chadhar and his wife withdrew their bail petitions, which the court subsequently disposed of as withdrawn.

Momina, 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.

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

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, stated 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.

Read More: Momina sends Rs190m legal notice to religious scholar over 'derogatory remarks'

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.

On June 4, the NCCIA registered a case against Chadhar on Momina’s complaint under Sections 3 (unauthorised access to information system or data), 4 (unauthorised copying or transmission of data), 21 (offences against modesty of a natural person and minor) and 24 (cyber stalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, read with Sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 109 (punishment for abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.