Lead

A court in Karachi on Wednesday granted police a three-day physical remand of Anmol alias Pinky, a woman accused of heading a narcotics gang and supplying cocaine and other drugs across the city. The order came after the investigation officer filed a revision application against a judicial magistrate’s decision to send her to judicial remand. The suspect was arrested earlier this week from her apartment in Garden, Karachi, in a joint raid by police and a civilian intelligence agency. She faces two cases pertaining to the possession of narcotics and an unlicensed weapon.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the case has focused on the legal proceedings and the expanding investigation. One account, published by Dawn, described the initial arrest and the court’s decision to grant physical remand, noting that the investigating officer (IO) Saeed Ahmed contended that Anmol was the “head of a narcotic gang and used to supply narcotics through an established chain.” The same report said the IO had filed a revision application against the judicial magistrate’s order, arguing that the roots of the chain could only be ascertained through interrogation while she was in police custody. The court, presided over by District and Sessions Judge Zahoor Ahmed Hakro, set aside the judicial remand and directed the superintendent of the women’s jail to hand over custody to the IO.

Another report described the remand as a continuation of the investigation, noting that Anmol had been remanded in police custody for three days after her arrest. It said the court proceedings were held inside the central prison, with media barred from entering the judicial complex. The same report quoted the investigating officers as saying they needed the remand to question Anmol about the source of supply, her network, financial transactions, and modus operandi.

A third report, published by Dawn from Lahore, focused on the Punjab police’s renewed interest in three old cases against Anmol and her brothers, and on allegations that Lahore police officers had taken bribes to avoid arresting her. This report said that officers in the CIA (now the Crime Control Department) had allegedly accepted bribes, and that a retired police official had received a double-cabin truck and a house from Anmol. It also stated that the revelations made during the post-arrest investigation by Karachi police were considered sufficient material to grill several officers who allegedly stayed silent or negligently avoided arresting her in the earlier cases.

All reports carry the same core narrative: Anmol, alias Pinky, was arrested in Karachi, remanded in police custody, and is now facing a broad-based investigation, with Punjab police reportedly planning to seek her custody.

Key Claims

  • Anmol was arrested by Sindh Police from her apartment in Garden, Karachi, in connection with two cases involving narcotics possession and an unlicensed weapon.
  • A court granted her physical remand for three days, overriding the judicial magistrate’s order.
  • The investigating officer contended that Anmol is the head of a narcotic gang and supplied drugs through an established chain.
  • Court proceedings were held inside the prison due to security concerns, and media was barred from entering the judicial complex.
  • The Inspector General of Police has vowed transparency in the investigations, according to one report, at a KCCI event, defending the strict security measures.
  • Multiple agencies are involved in probing Anmol’s alleged criminal activities, including police and a civilian intelligence agency.
  • Punjab police are planning to seek custody of Anmol to face three old cases registered in Lahore.
  • Three old cases were registered against Anmol and her brothers Nasir and Riaz Baloch in Lahore in 2019, 2020, and 2022.
  • Some investigating officers in Punjab are said to have been complicit in not arresting Anmol, with allegations of bribery and negligence.
  • A retired police official received a double-cabin truck and a house from Anmol, according to the Lahore report.
  • Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar expressed satisfaction with the court’s development, stating that the police “re-examined the legal aspects and presented their position in the court again.”
  • Karachi Police have launched a “broad-based investigation” into the narcotics network after a preliminary probe suggested the involvement of foreigners.

Perspectives

Sindh Police and Court

The investigating officer and the court in Karachi contend that physical custody is necessary to ascertain the roots of the narcotics chain through proper interrogation. The court found the IO’s submission “cogent and reasonable” and granted remand, while the Sindh Home Minister expressed satisfaction with the legal development.

Punjab Police

Punjab police officials, as reported, are focusing on the three old cases and are reportedly planning to seek custody of Anmol from Sindh. The report indicates that the revelation from Karachi’s investigation has put the Punjab police under scrutiny, with allegations of bribery and negligence in failing to arrest her earlier.