The actress went public about it, the post went viral, and now a ruling party MPA has received a summons for cybercrime charges overnight. Both Momina Iqbal who is an actress and model, and a member of the Punjab provincial assembly belonging to PML-N were summoned by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), on Thursday, after her posts accusing online harassment and death threats gained traction on social media platforms the day before.
NCCIA acts quickly following viral appeal for intervention
According to NCCIA Punjab director Muhammad Ali Waseem, who spoke to Dawn on Wednesday, “The case will be dealt with on merit alone,” noting that the two sides were summoned by the NCCIA on May 21st following a formal request from Momina. According to sources, the NCCIA took quick action only because of the fact that the case was brought to the notice of high-level PML-N leaders, including Punjab’s chief minister Maryam Nawaz.
The source further disclosed that the senior leadership of the party ordered the NCCIA to start processing the case at once and to take necessary measures against the MPA provided that the claims were true. According to the source, the office of the Chief Minister also wished to remain away from the incident because of Momina’s posts.
What did Momina Iqbal have to say?
As mentioned earlier, there has been a post by Momina Iqbal published on Facebook that was addressed to the political party itself. As discussed by Momina Iqbal in this post, she is being threatened and bullied by an MP who belongs to the PML-N party through her online platform for quite a while now. Momina did not disclose the name of this particular MP; however, this is still a fairly serious issue.
Momina Iqbal’s claims of sexual harassment did not just end there. She went ahead to say that the people connected with the office of the Chief Minister went ahead to make sure that she could not take any further action regarding the matter.
Bringing in family members, compounding the trauma
Apart from the risk that the woman was faced with, she also highlighted that her family suffered huge amounts of mental trauma after this. She pleaded with the authorities that a proper investigation be done for her family, and that she be provided security. This is because the Momina Iqbal harassment was not only affecting her, but others as well.
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A press conference threat that changed everything
It was quite evident that Momina had clearly stated an ultimatum through her post. In case the authorities ignored her, she would call a press conference and disclose all the evidence regarding her threat and harassment. That warning, more than anything else, appears to have accelerated the NCCIA’s response. The agency’s sudden urgency stands in stark contrast to the months during which Momina says her earlier NCCIA and FIA complaints went unanswered.
Examples of institutional failure
The current situation that occurred when Momina Iqbal was subjected to harassment is an example of what happens when a victim informs the relevant cybercrime department about their situation, but no steps are taken until the whole thing becomes viral via social media, compelling the authorities to take action on the person. It raises doubts about the way Pakistan’s cybercrime departments work.
What comes next
In similar cases, Momina Iqbal and MPA, whose name is still unknown, were also brought to the National Commission on Combating Harassment in Institutions on Thursday. If the investigation by NCCIA favors Momina Iqbal’s case, then the complaint would lead to an official charge of harassment against a sitting lawmaker; however, it would also put to question NCCIA’s credibility and the promise of accountability within PML-N’s ranks.
