A Lahore sessions court on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab Assembly member Saqib Chadhar and his wife Samira Chadhar until July 28 in a cyber harassment case filed by actress Momina Iqbal.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui heard the bail applications and directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to complete its investigation and submit a report before the next hearing.
During the proceedings, the investigation officer informed the court that Samira Chadhar had joined the investigation, but further time was required to complete the probe.
The officer said forensic examination of a mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used in the offence was still pending.
The defence argued that the cyber case had been registered contrary to the facts and requested the court to maintain the interim bail.
Accepting the investigation officer's request, the court extended the interim bail of both accused until July 28 and directed the NCCIA to submit a comprehensive investigation report at the next hearing.
This is the second extension of Saqib Chadhar's interim bail. The court initially granted him pre-arrest bail on June 5, later extending it until July 13.
Background
Actress Momina Iqbal alleged in May that she had been subjected to prolonged online harassment, death threats and intimidation, causing severe mental distress to her and her family.
She later filed a complaint accusing Saqib Chadhar, his wife and others of cyber harassment, blackmail, criminal intimidation, character assassination and interfering with her marriage.
According to the complaint, the alleged harassment began after a marriage proposal was rejected in 2022. Momina claimed she received threatening phone calls, WhatsApp messages, fake social media posts and AI-generated images intended to damage her reputation.
She also alleged that edited photographs and threatening messages were sent to her fiancé and his family after her engagement, and claimed previous complaints were not pursued due to the accused's political influence.
The allegations remain under investigation, and the court has not reached any findings on the merits of the case.
