LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday indicted 12 accused persons, including a woman, in alleged honey-trapping and kidnapping of playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar.

ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed presided over the hearing, during which all the accused persons were brought to court from jail.

The judge formally indicted the accused, however, they pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations against them.

The judge summoned prosecution witnesses on Dec 20.

The indicted accused include Amna Arooj, Hassan Shah, Tanvir Ahmad, Qaiser Abbas, Rasheed Ahmad, Falak Sher, Mian Khan, Yasir Ali, Javed Iqbal, Zeeshan Qayum and Mamoon Haider.

Denying the prosecution story, main accused Arooj alleged that Shah and Qamar blackmailed her in fact. She said Shah, who was like a brother to her, knew about Qamar’s blackmailing.

Arooj claimed that both men were powerful, and she got trapped between them. She also alleged that Shah leaked a video wherein Qamar was insisting on a relationship with her.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024

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