Summary Lahore High Court accepts Rimsha Iqbal’s appeal and sets aside the order directing registration of a case against Momina Iqbal’s sister.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court has set aside a decision directing the registration of a case against Rimsha Iqbal, sister of actress Momina Iqbal, providing her major relief in an ongoing legal dispute.
Justice Abher Gul announced the reserved verdict on Rimsha’s appeal and accepted her petition challenging the earlier order passed by the sessions court.
Rimsha, who is a lawyer, had approached the high court after a sessions court directed authorities to register a case against her. The dispute involves Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Saqib Chadhar and allegations surrounding Rs8 million allegedly deposited into Rimsha’s bank account.
During earlier proceedings, counsel representing Chadhar told the Lahore High Court that Rs8 million had been deposited into Rimsha’s bank account at different times. The court questioned the nature of the transactions and asked whether the money had been provided as a loan or in connection with a personal relationship.
According to the counsel, the amount was deposited because Rimsha intended to travel abroad and required funds to show in her bank statement. The lawyer also told the court that Chadhar and actress Momina Iqbal had previously been engaged.
The court further asked whether any written agreement had been made concerning the money. Chadhar’s counsel responded that the amount had been given as a deposit or entrusted money rather than as a loan.
Rimsha, however, maintained that the money in question had already been withdrawn from her bank account in 2022. These competing positions formed part of the legal dispute before the court.
The latest ruling follows several months of litigation involving Rimsha and Chadhar. In September, the Lahore High Court had summoned counsels for the parties to present arguments on a petition challenging proceedings against Rimsha. At that stage, replies from Chadhar and Bhowana police in Chiniot district had been submitted and made part of the judicial record.
The case involving Rimsha is linked to a wider and highly publicised dispute surrounding her sister Momina Iqbal and Chadhar.
The controversy emerged after Momina publicly alleged that she had faced online harassment and death threats and identified a serving PML-N provincial lawmaker in her allegations. Both sides subsequently appeared before the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and recorded their statements. Momina’s allegations were denied, while Chadhar maintained that he had known her for several years and disputed the characterisation of their relationship.
The wider dispute subsequently generated several legal proceedings. In July, the Lahore High Court had temporarily suspended a Justice of Peace order directing the registration of a case concerning an alleged Rs8 million breach-of-trust dispute involving Chadhar and Momina. The court had observed that legal questions raised in the petition required consideration and issued notices to the parties.
Separately, Chadhar and his wife, Samira, faced proceedings in connection with allegations of harassment and threats involving Momina. Their interim bail proceedings continued during the investigation, while the NCCIA remained involved in the inquiry.
