LAHORE: 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 cyber harassment case filed by actor Momina Iqbal and restrained authorities from arresting him until June 24.
Additional Sessions Judge Irfan Ahmed Sheikh approved the interim bail petition after hearing arguments from both parties. Chadhar was represented before the court by Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq.
FIR Alleges Cyber Harassment and Intimidation
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency following a complaint submitted by Momina Iqbal. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Chadhar and his wife are accused of engaging in cyber harassment, stalking, intimidation, blackmail, and attempts to damage the actor’s personal and professional reputation.
The FIR alleges that after Iqbal rejected a marriage proposal from Chadhar, she was subjected to threats, unauthorized attempts to access private information, and alleged blackmail involving private videos. Investigators claim that the accused and their associates carried out a coordinated campaign targeting both the actor and her family.
Digital Evidence Under Investigation
According to investigators, digital devices and storage media were seized for forensic examination as part of the inquiry. Authorities stated that technical analysis of the complainant’s mobile phone allegedly revealed threatening and derogatory messages linked to the accused. Investigators further claimed that call data records (CDRs) were obtained without authorization and used to harass the complainant.
The FIR also alleges that some digital data had been deleted before forensic examination; however, investigators say evidence was later recovered from seized devices.
Charges Under PECA and PPC
The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA), as amended in 2025, along with several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The allegations include unauthorized access to digital systems, cyberstalking, dissemination of harmful content, criminal intimidation, destruction of evidence, and abetment.
Momina Iqbal’s Earlier Allegations
Momina Iqbal first publicly raised concerns on social media in May, claiming she had been subjected to online harassment, cyberbullying, and death threats for an extended period. She later filed a formal complaint with Lahore police, alleging that Chadhar and others had engaged in blackmail, intimidation, and defamatory campaigns after she rejected his marriage proposal and ended contact in 2022.
The actor also alleged that threatening messages, AI-generated images, and explicit content were circulated in an attempt to damage her reputation and interfere with her upcoming marriage.
CM Maryam Nawaz Calls for Action on Merit
Responding to the controversy earlier, Maryam Nawaz Sharif stated that the matter would be dealt with strictly according to the law and on merit. She also warned against the misuse of influence, threats, or attempts to release personal content, saying such actions would face strict legal consequences.
The court has now directed authorities not to arrest Saqib Chadhar until the next hearing, while investigations into the allegations continue.
