the suspects "have intentionally concealed themselves"
A judicial magistrate in Lahore issued arrest warrants for the three women who barged into the house that Uzma Khan was staying in and attacked her and her sister Huma.
The warrants were issued on May 29, 2020.
Uzma and Huma had been accused of having an affair with a man named Usman. Although it is not known if the allegations are true, the sisters had been harassed and Huma was even injured.
Video clips circulated on social media, showing the actress and her sister being physically harassed, allegedly by the daughters of property tycoon Malik Riaz.
Uzma filed a complaint on May 27. The FIR named the accused as Riaz’s daughters Pashmina Malik and Ambar Malik, Usman’s wife Amna Malik and 15 unidentified private guards who had also entered the house.
Police filed an application seeking the arrest warrants of the three women.
During the hearing of the application, lawyers told the court that the three accused have disappeared.
Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Shabbir Sial noted that the investigating officer had sought the warrants on the grounds that the suspects “have intentionally concealed themselves and are avoiding” their arrest.
The investigating officer made efforts for the suspects’ arrest but they “could not be arrested”. The arrest warrants were later approved.
The matter came to light after several videos went viral.
They showed several women forcing their way into the house, along with several security guards.
The sisters had been confronted and accused of having an affair with Usman. Another video showed the accused breaking items inside the house.
Uzma later filed a complaint, explaining that she and her sister were tortured.
However, Amna claimed that Uzma had tried to break up her 13-year marriage by having an illicit relationship with her husband.
In her statement, she said:
“Firstly, I’d like to add that my husband, Usman Malik has nothing to do with Malik Riaz Hussain, he’s not a part of his immediate family.
“As far as barging into someone’s home is concerned, this was not their house.
“This was my husband’s other house which I followed him to, so, basically, this was my husband’s home and I have every right to be there.”
At a press conference, Uzma and Huma said that they had received threats against their life.
Uzma also said that Usman had wanted to marry her. She said that she did not know Usman’s wife and saw her for the first time the day the woman barged into her house along with security guards.
In another development, there had been reports that Uzma had compromised with the accused and had moved to Dubai, but the actress refuted the claims.
She said people were advising her to make a “deal” with the assailants, saying her life was in danger.
Uzma said: “But I have already died after what they have done to me … they have defamed me before the whole world.”
She added that police officers were “not cooperating” with her and neither were they arresting the three women.
Uzma requested assistance from Prime Minister Imran Khan, reiterating: “My life is in danger.”