Renowned actress Atiqa Odho is still trying to get justice eight years after she was allegedly caught smuggling in two bottles of liquor at Benazir International airport. The actress was arrested on June 4, 2011, while she was checking in for a flight for Karachi.
Also, this is the OLDEST case at Rawalpindi court that is yet to be resolved, with 174 hearings of the case AND 12 judges being changed until now.
Both bottles were allegedly confiscated when found and being the ‘Awami Pakistan Muslim League’s’ Federal Secretary Information Minister and obviously, the news went viral online. The chief justice then, Iftikhar Chaudhry asked police and customs officials why there was no case filed against her.
Bechari, the Civil courts of Rawalpindi have cleared all alcohol pending cases smuggling minus this one.
The actress then allegedly went into hiding to avoid getting arrested and managed to get interim bail after customs officials sent a lawsuit to the Airport Police Station (based on criminal article section 3/4). Atiqa felt harassed, and she made a statement under section 161 of Court of Criminal Procedure and appeared regularly for six months after being granted immunity.
Barrister Zafar (Atiqa’s counselor) told the court that the actress was caught up in a false case because of suo motu action taken by Iftikhar Chaudhry. He said that the lower courts should have dismissed the actress’s appeals, instead of postponing it.
What are your thoughts on this?