Online blackmailer refused bail | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Online blackmailer refused bail

Pakistan Press Foundation

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court yesterday refused bail to a man allegedly involved in blackmailing a woman by uploading her nude pictures on Facebook, a social networking website.

Muhammad Munawar, one of the suspects of online blackmailing, had filed a bail petition through his counsel and contended that he had nothing with the allegations of sharing nudes of the married woman on the social media.

He held he was implicated in the fabricated case just for being brother of Karamat Ali, the prime accused, in the case. The petitioner said he was teacher at a government school, and requested the court to grant him bail.

However, Deputy Prosecutor General Khurram Khan opposed his arguments and said that Karamat Ali obtained some photographs of the complainant-woman with the help of his sister. The suspect made a fake account of the woman on Facebook and uploaded her morphed photos. The prosecutor informed the court that Ali used bank account of Munawar to extract blackmail money.

“All the suspects have been found guilty in investigation,” Khan told the court.

After hearing both sides, a division bench headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan dismissed the bail. The Green Town Police took the suspect into custody.

Verdict reserved on

Musa Gilani’s plea

The Lahore High Court yesterday reserved verdict on a petition of Syed Ali Musa Gilani, son of former primer Yousuf Raza Gilani, challenging his name on Exit Control List.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza reserved the verdict after hearing both sides. During the hearing, a law officer appeared in the court and said that the petitioner who was facing trial in Ephedrine case could flee the country as his name was removed from the ECL.

However, Gilani’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar contended that the interior ministry had put his name on ECL on May 15, 2013 on the basis of mere allegations against him.

He argued that the Supreme Court had granted bail to the petitioner in the said case, and had not issued any directions to put his name on the ECL.

He further said that previously his client went abroad with the permission of court and came back. His name was put on ECL on the basis of political grudge against him and his father, the counsel added.

The counsel also informed the court that Musa Gillani was unable to travel abroad for educational and business purposes due to his name in ECL. He prayed the court to issue directions to the ministry of interior to immediately remove name of the petitioner from the ECL.

The Nation

Related Stories

The News: Trial of truth in the age of social media