SHC grants bail to Aamir Liaquat’s widow Dania

Published February 15, 2023
Dania Shah, the third wife and widow of late media personality and politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain, being brought to the Sindh High Court. — DawnNewsTV
Dania Shah, the third wife and widow of late media personality and politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain, being brought to the Sindh High Court. — DawnNewsTV

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Dania Shah, the third wife and widow of late media personality and politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain, in a case pertaining to leaking his indecent video on social media.

A single-judge bench of SHC headed by Justice Omar Sial also restrained the applicant from posting anything on the internet, giving interviews or making public statements in any manner about the subject case or contacting any witnesses of the case.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the bench allowed the post-arrest bail application subject to furnishing a solvent surety in the sum of Rs2 million and personal bond in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

The FIA had arrested the applicant in November last year after Dua Aamir, the daughter of the late TV anchor, had lodged a case against Ms Shah under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

The applicant’s counsel contended that the case registered against Ms Shah was due to nothing, but malice originating due to inheritance claims.

The bench in its order said there was little doubt that the creator of such videos might very well be Ms Shah, but evidence regarding dissemination required further inquiry.

It noted that the applicant gave an interview in which she acknowledged having these clips and censored versions of such clips were shown during the interview.

She admitted that she made the clips, but denied any hand in their dissemination and said that she had sold the phone on which the clips were stored and hence she was not the disseminator, the order said and added that surprisingly, FIA never found the phone or the person it was sold to and the dissemination aspect, therefore, will be proved at trial.

The order further said, “In this case, at the end of the day, Ms Shah is, irrespective of her doings, a woman. This fact in itself entitles her to more concessions than a man in a similar situation.” “Such a concession is not made out of sympathy for the woman but as a tiny step to bring her closer to equality with men and to honour the concessions which law itself gives to a woman,” the bench noted.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...
Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...