LAHIORE: A Lahore sessions court on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Saqib Chaddar and his wife, Samira, until July 28 in the cyber harassment case filed by actor Momina Iqbal. The court also directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to complete its investigation and submit a comprehensive report before the next hearing.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui issued the order while hearing the couple’s bail petitions. Both Saqib Chaddar and his wife appeared before the court to mark their attendance.
During the proceedings, the investigating officer informed the court that Samira Chaddar had joined the investigation, but the inquiry remained incomplete. The officer said the mobile phone allegedly used in the offence, along with its SIM card, was required for forensic examination and requested additional time to finalize the probe.
The defence argued that the case had been registered without sufficient grounds and urged the court to confirm the interim pre-arrest bail. Accepting the investigation team's request, the court extended the interim relief and instructed the NCCIA to submit its complete findings on July 28.
This marks the second extension of interim bail for the PML-N lawmaker. He was initially granted protective bail on June 5, which was later extended on June 24 and again on July 2.
The case stems from a complaint filed by actor Momina Iqbal, who accused Saqib Chaddar and his wife of cyber harassment, online stalking, intimidation, blackmail, and issuing death threats. According to the FIR registered on June 4, the actor alleged that the harassment campaign caused severe mental distress to her and her family.
Momina had earlier revealed on social media that she had repeatedly approached the NCCIA and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the alleged threats but claimed no action was initially taken. She later filed a formal complaint alleging that the harassment intensified after she rejected a marriage proposal from Chaddar in 2022.
The complaint also accuses the suspects of using threatening phone calls, WhatsApp messages, fake social media accounts, and AI-generated images to intimidate her and damage her reputation ahead of her planned marriage. Chaddar has denied the allegations, while the investigation remains ongoing under the NCCIA's supervision.
