Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab Assembly member Saqib Chadhar and his wife, Sameera, have been declared innocent by an investigation team in a harassment and death threats case filed by actress Momina Iqbal.
The development came during proceedings at a Lahore sessions court, where a National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) investigation officer submitted a report on the allegations against Chadhar and his wife.
According to the investigation report, the arrest of Saqib Chadhar and Sameera was not required at this stage.
The NCCIA had earlier changed its investigation team and constituted a joint investigation team to conduct a fresh inquiry into the allegations.
Following the investigation officer’s statement, Saqib Chadhar withdrew his interim bail petition. The court subsequently disposed of the bail applications filed by Chadhar and his wife after they were withdrawn.
Actress Momina Iqbal appeared before the court along with her lawyer, Adnan Ehsan.
However, the actress’s counsel objected to the investigation report, arguing that the NCCIA had changed the investigation team without taking the complainant into confidence.
He further alleged that the new investigation officer had cleared the suspects without conducting a complete inquiry. The lawyer urged the court to scrutinise the investigation process and the decision to declare Chadhar and his wife innocent.
The NCCIA had registered the case on Momina Iqbal’s complaint against PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar over allegations of harassment and threats to kill her.
Momina Iqbal and Saqib Chadhar
In recent weeks, Momina Iqbal approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against Punjab Assembly member Saqib Chadhar over allegations of cyber harassment, threats and blackmail, after which a case was also registered against her under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
In another story, the actress revealed that the experience left her feeling as though she had “maybe died” internally.
She described this as one of the difficult periods of her life and said it had a devastating impact not only on her but also on her entire family.
Momina Iqbal reacts to Saqib Chadhar declared innocent
Actress Momina Iqbal has strongly reacted to the investigation report declaring PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar and his wife, Sameera, innocent in the harassment and death threats case filed by her, vowing not to withdraw from the legal battle.
Speaking for the first time after the development, Momina alleged that no proper questioning was conducted against the people she accused of harassment.
“One person harasses me and his wife also harasses me, yet no questions were asked from them,” she said.
The actress also questioned why Saqib Chadhar had not been suspended while the allegations against him were being investigated.
“In any democracy, if allegations are levelled against a public representative, they should be suspended so they cannot misuse their position or send goons to people’s homes,” Momina said.
She said she had placed her trust in the law and authorities, adding that she had “closed her eyes” believing that those sitting in positions of power knew the truth.
“I have trusted the law. The people sitting in chairs of authority told me that they know what the truth is,” she said.
Making her position clear, Momina vowed to continue pursuing the case.
“I am Pakistan’s face. I will not leave this case. Do whatever you can,” the actress said.
She further warned that she could make evidence related to the case public if necessary.
“If needed, I will put all the evidence on social media, and then the public will decide,” Momina Iqbal said.
The remarks came after an NCCIA investigation report submitted before a Lahore sessions court declared Saqib Chadhar and his wife innocent and stated that their arrest was not required at this stage.