PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar gets interim bail after being booked for allegedly harassing actor Momina Iqbal

A Lahore court on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Punjab Assembly member Saqib Chadhar, a day after the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered a case against him on allegations of harassment made by television actor Momina Iqbal.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Irfan Ahmad Sheikh approved Chadhar’s bail petition and directed the NCCIA not to arrest him until June 24. The court also ordered the agency to submit the case record at the next hearing.

The case was registered on Iqbal’s complaint under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), including offences related to unauthorised access to data, cyberstalking and offences against modesty. Additional charges were included under the Pakistan Penal Code, including criminal intimidation and abetment.

According to the FIR, Iqbal alleged that Chadhar, along with his wife and other associates, had subjected her and her family to a sustained campaign of cyber harassment, intimidation, blackmail and defamation.

The complaint stated that after Iqbal allegedly rejected a marriage proposal from the lawmaker upon learning that he was already married, he retaliated by issuing threats, attempting to access her private data and allegedly using personal material to blackmail her.

The FIR further alleged that Chadhar sought to damage her personal and professional reputation, including by interfering in a marriage proposal in 2023 and threatening to disrupt her upcoming marriage.

The NCCIA stated that preliminary technical and forensic analysis of devices belonging to both parties formed part of the basis for registering the case.

The allegations first gained public attention after Iqbal posted on social media that she had been facing online harassment, cyberbullying and death threats from a ruling party lawmaker. She claimed that previous complaints submitted to the NCCIA and the Federal Investigation Agency had not resulted in action.

Following the public appeal, senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, took notice of the matter. According to media reports, party leadership directed authorities to investigate the allegations and take action if they were found to be substantiated.

Earlier, the NCCIA summoned both Iqbal and Chadhar to record their statements. Separately, the Lahore High Court granted interim protective bail to Iqbal’s husband, Hamza Habib, in a case involving allegations of threatening the lawmaker.

The case remains under investigation, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.