FIA withdraws plea to record statement of Aamir Liaquat’s daughter via video link

A court on Thursday dismissed as “not pressed” an application of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking permission to record through video link a statement of televangelist and politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain’s daughter in a case filed against his widow Syed Dania Shah for allegedly leaking his obscene videos on social media.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Mukesh Kumar dismissed the application after the FIA prosecutor informed him that he does not want to press it. Dania Shah was produced from jail as the court resumed the hearing of the case. The prosecutor submitted that Dua Aamir, complainant of the case, could not appear in the court as she was studying at a Lahore university, so her statement should be recorded through video link.

Defence counsel Liaquat Gabol objected to the plea, requesting the magistrate to dismiss the same as she had been previously appearing in the court in the case. However, the prosecutor later withdrew the application. The hearing was adjourned until February 9 when the court would record the statements of prosecution witnesses.

At the previous hearing, the court indicted Shah on charges of recording and leaking his obscene videos on social media.

Dania Shah was arrested by the FIA from her house in the Lodhran district of Punjab on December 15. According to a charge sheet submitted in the court, the investigating officer, Inspector Arfa Saeed, said Shah, who was the third wife of Hussain, allegedly recorded his obscene videos with an intention to use them to humiliate him, adding that she also publically admitted to committing the “criminal act” in different interviews available online.

“Prima facie it is established that Dania Bibi made sexually explicit videos of her husband Aamir Liaquat and transmitted the same publically to create hatred against his modesty that resulted in fear of violence and distress in the mind of deceased Aamir Liaquat,” reads the charge sheet, a copy of which is available with The News.

Furthermore, it said, the technical analysis of a USB provided by the complainant revealed that the objectionable video of the late lawmaker was shared by different YouTube channels. The forensic examination of the equipment seized from Fuzail Chohan, personal assistant of Hussain, disclosed that he received the objectionable video from a WhatsApp number that belonged to Muhammad Rashid (Ansar bhai) and analysis of the CDR of the number showed that Dania Shah remained in contact with him on May 5, 2022, the challan said, adding that Rashid shared the video in question with Fuzail on May 12.

In light of the above-mentioned facts, circumstances and evidence collected so far, the IO concluded that the accused having criminal intention committed the offence against the modesty of a natural person. The accused, therefore, was liable to be prosecuted for the offence punishable under section 20 (malicious code), 21 (cyberstalking) and 24 (legal recognition), of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, she said.