Producer of the record-breaking film ‘Waar’, Hassan Waqas Rana, is wanted by police in a case filed against him by the director of the film, Bilal Lashari.
Through his counsels, Haq Nawaz Baloch and Rab Nawaz Baloch, Lashari lodged a criminal case under section 406 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Kohsar Police Station on June 21, accusing Rana of depriving him of 25 per cent of the film’s profit — against the terms of an agreement between the two.
However, Rana secured pre-arrest bail from the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Sikandar Khan on June 23.
On September 25, ADSJ Raja Khurram Ali Khan dismissed the bail and ordered the arrest of the suspect who has, since then, gone into hiding while the police are still looking for him.
Moreover, during the course of proceedings, Rana presented a medical certificate which upon verification proved to be forged and a second case has been registered against him in Margalla police station under sections 420, 468 and 471 of the PPC. Rana managed to get a pre-arrest bail in this case also.
The next hearing of the case will be held on September 29.
In the initial FIR filed with the Kohsar police, Lashari stated that he was also a partner in the film but Rana deposited over Rs150 million in his own account, refusing to share any part of the earnings with the director.
Investigation Officer Mansha Hussain confirmed that Rana is wanted by the police.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2014.