Pakistani court jails three in abduction and ransom case involving prominent screenwriter

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced three individuals on Monday to seven years in prison each for demanding ransom in a high-profile case involving acclaimed drama writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, local officials said.

The court in Lahore convicted Amina Arooj, Mamnoon Haider, and Zeeshan after finding them guilty of extorting money from Qamar. However, charges of abduction could not be proven during the trial, which was based on the testimonies of 17 witnesses, including the writer himself, police officers, and bank officials.

The court acquitted an accused identified as Hassan Shah and several other defendants, citing insufficient evidence against them.

The case, which drew widespread attention in Pakistan’s media, alleged that Qamar — known for popular television dramas such as Meray Paas Tum Ho and Pyarey Afzal — was lured into a trap, abducted and held for ransom in July 2024.

According to the police report filed on July 21, Qamar received a phone call around midnight from a woman identifying herself as Amina Arooj, who claimed to be an admirer and expressed interest in collaborating on a television project. Qamar agreed to meet her and arrived at a house in Lahore’s Sundar area at approximately 4:40 a.m.

Soon after his arrival, a group of seven armed men reportedly entered the house, conducted a body search and confiscated his personal belongings, including PKR 60,000 in cash, a mobile phone, an ATM card and his national identity card. The men later withdrew over PKR 200,000 from one of Qamar’s bank accounts and demanded a ransom of PKR 10 million, threatening his life, according to the complaint.

Qamar held a press conference in the days following the incident, informing the public about his ordeal.

The Anti-Terrorism Court indicted 11 suspects in August, and after months of hearings, issued its verdict today. The prosecution presented testimonies from key witnesses, including Qamar’s friend, law enforcement officials, and bank staff, before the court reached its decision.

Controversial figure

Qamar, a veteran screenwriter, has also remained a polarizing figure in Pakistan due to his controversial views on gender roles and women’s rights.

In March 2020, Qamar sparked national outrage after he used abusive language against feminist activist Marvi Sirmed during a live television debate over Pakistan's women march, popularly termed 'Aurat March' and its slogan "Mera jism, meri marzi" ("My body, my choice"). The incident prompted a private TV channel to suspend its contracts with him for four drama serials and a film, pending an apology he refused to offer.

More recently, in May 2024, Qamar drew criticism for equating men who demand dowries to "hijra," a term for transgender individuals, during a television appearance. He further advised women to maintain their physical appearance to keep their husbands interested, comments widely condemned as misogynistic.