LAHORE: In a new development in the ongoing harassment and blackmail case between actress Momina Iqbal and PML-N MPA Saqib Chadhar, the counsel for the actress, Adnan Ehsan, has claimed that Momina’s sister Rimsha Iqbal has left for Australia to pursue legal remedy against a petition allegedly filed by the MPA in Australia.
Speaking on the latest turn in the case, Advocate Adnan Ehsan stated that Rimsha Iqbal, who is also a lawyer and had been representing her sister before the Punjab Bar Council and in related proceedings, had departed for Australia in recent days.
According to the lawyer, MPA Saqib Chadhar has filed a separate petition / complaint against Rimsha Iqbal in Australia, and Rimsha has travelled there to face the proceedings and present her defence.
The claim comes against the backdrop of counter-allegations levelled by the MPA against Rimsha Iqbal in Pakistan.
Earlier, MPA Saqib Chadhar had filed an application with Bhowana Police Station, Chiniot, accusing Rimsha Iqbal of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Rs 8 million. In his application, Chadhar alleged that he had longstanding family relations with the Iqbal family and that Rimsha had requested him to transfer Rs 8 million to her bank account as a “trust amount” required for processing her Australian visa, with an assurance that it would be returned after completion of the process.
The MPA claimed he transferred Rs 3.9 million through cheque and handed over Rs 4.1 million in cash in presence of witnesses, but later Rimsha refused to return the amount and threatened him.
In a separate statement submitted to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Chadhar had also alleged that at Momina Iqbal’s request he had paid AUD 13,000 for Rimsha Iqbal’s university fees and later paid another AUD 10,000 after alleged blackmail. He further claimed Rs 8.3 million was transferred to Momina Iqbal’s account at different times.
Rimsha Iqbal has denied all allegations as baseless. Appearing before the Punjab Bar Council’s disciplinary committee last month, where the Council barred both sides’ counsels – Advocate Rimsha Iqbal and MPA’s counsel Mian Ali Ashfaq – from discussing the case in media, Rimsha stated she stood by her sister and that the allegations were baseless. She informed the committee that she was studying in Australia and worked additional hours alongside her studies.
The main harassment case remains pending before the Sessions Court Lahore, where on Monday the court extended interim pre-arrest bail of Saqib Chadhar and his wife Samira Chadhar till September 3 after the NCCIA submitted a report finding the MPA guilty of cyber harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation under PECA.
The court has directed the NCCIA to submit its complete investigation report at the next hearing.
