LAHORE — A sessions court on Thursday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of PML-N Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Saqib Chadhar and his wife until July 13, amid an ongoing high-profile criminal investigation into the cyberstalking and harassment of television actress Momina Iqbal.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqi ordered the extension after Chadhar appeared in court alongside his legal counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq. Chadhar’s wife was absent from the proceedings, with defense counsel citing health issues. The court has directed both suspects to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and instructed the prosecution to submit a comprehensive progress report by the next hearing.
A Lahore sessions court has extended the interim pre arrest bail of PML N MPA Saqib Chadhar and his wife until 13 July in a case involving alleged harassment of television actress Momina Iqbal. #Pakistan #Lahore #MominaIqbal #PMLN pic.twitter.com/vyVSIlkjC1
— The Uncensored Pakistan (@uncensoredpak1) July 2, 2026
Case Origins & Political Fallout
The controversy exploded into the public sphere in May when Momina Iqbal posted a viral social media appeal detailing relentless cyberbullying, online harassment, and death threats from an unnamed ruling party lawmaker.
The actress revealed that initial attempts to seek justice through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were stonewalled, alleging that officials close to the Chief Minister’s Office actively tried to silence her.
The public outcry forced the top tier of the PML-N to step in. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz publicly warned that political clout or threats to leak “personal content” would face an uncompromising state response, prompting the NCCIA to immediately register the case.
Escalating Criminal Charges
Following an official complaint filed by Iqbal at Lahore’s Chung Police Station, the legal net tightened around the provincial lawmaker. According to the actress, the harassment escalated into blackmail, abusive WhatsApp texts, and explicit threats to her family after she refused Chadhar’s marriage proposal upon discovering he was already married to two women.
On June 4, the NCCIA formalized a case against Chadhar, invoking a heavy slate of anti-cybercrime and penal codes:
| Legal Authority | Specific Sections & Operational Charges |
| PECA (2016) |
Sec. 3 & 4: Unauthorized system access & data transmission
Sec. 21 & 24: Offences against modesty & aggressive cyberstalking |
| Pakistan Penal Code |
Sec. 506: Criminal intimidation
Sec. 201 & 109: Disappearance of evidence & criminal abetment |
Chadhar originally secured interim pre-arrest bail on June 5, which was subsequently extended on June 25, and now stands extended until mid-July as law enforcement aggregates digital forensic evidence.
