Actress Momina Iqbal has gone public with a sharp Instagram statement targeting an unnamed political figure over what she describes as an ongoing harassment and cyberbullying campaign.
Taking to Instagram, Momina made clear she plans to fight the matter in full.
“I belong to the media myself; I neither needed limelight nor any monetary benefit from this matter. I have taken this stand for my rights, and I will pursue it till the very end,” she wrote.
The actress addressed the mental toll the situation has taken on her, noting that public sympathy for victims typically arrives too late.
“Had I been killed, or driven to suicide because of the continuous harassment and pressure, campaigns would have been run in my support afterward. But I chose to stand up for myself instead.”
She accused the other party of attempting to muddy the waters rather than address her core allegations. “The accused chose to respond with baseless allegations, character assassination, and narratives about money, the same cheap tactics often used to divert attention from the actual issue. I was prepared for all of this, and I still am,” she avowed.
Iqbal stressed that she has not yet presented her full account publicly, and called on followers to hold off on forming opinions.
“There are indeed two sides to every story, and I have not even presented my side publicly yet. At the press conference, I will present every single claim with proper evidence. I will not make any statement without proof.”
The sharpest line in her post came at the end. “I have built my respect through years of hard work, not by repeatedly selling the kidneys of poor people.”
Momina had accused a PML-N Member of Provincial Assembly of prolonged online harassment, cyberbullying and death threats in an Instagram story shared on Wednesday, stopping short of naming anyone publicly. “I request everyone not to blame anyone until my official statement is recorded,” she wrote.
Saqib Chadhar’s name came out after both parties appeared before the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore on Thursday.
Momina, accompanied by her legal team, appeared before the NCCIA on Thursday and submitted digital evidence including alleged threatening messages, before recording her statement. The questioning continued for several hours, after which she left through a back exit. Chadhar later appeared with his legal team as well.
For his part, Chadhar has denied all harassment and threat allegations levelled by Momina following legal notices issued by the NCCIA.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has also directed authorities to carry out a transparent investigation free from political interference.
It is worth noting that Chadhar was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in May 2017 on allegations of being the ringleader of an illegal kidney transplant racket operating in Murree and Rawalpindi.
Old videos linked to the case have resurfaced and are now circulating widely on social media in the wake of the current controversy.
