Chaos in court as Pinky denies drug charges, alleges torture
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
KARACHI – The court appearance of Anmol alias “Pinky”, a female suspect in a high-profile drug trafficking case, turned tense on Saturday as she alleged illegal detention, torture and false criminal cases against her. The accused was produced before a judicial magistrate at Karachi’s City Court under tight security. She was brought to court with her face covered. During the hearing, Anmol alias Pinky created a commotion and claimed she had been in custody for 22 days. She alleged that she was arrested from Lahore, transported in a police van and subjected to torture. She further stated that multiple false cases had been registered against her. “I have been held illegally and tortured. I was brought from Lahore,” she told the court, adding that she was facing multiple FIRs and pressure during custody. The court assured her that she would not be harassed and that both she and her legal counsel would be given full opportunity to present their arguments. Earlier, the police had claimed that narcotics worth more than Rs4.5 million were recovered following raids conducted on information provided by the accused. During the proceedings, the investigation officer informed the court that seven people had been arrested so far and recoveries were being made on the suspect’s identification. He alleged that the accused was not cooperating with investigators and was repeatedly changing her statements. The officer further stated that the accused had been involved in drug trafficking for a long time and claimed her network supplied drugs to educational institutions, with several individuals and foreign nationals allegedly linked to the operation. The court also questioned the investigation officer over the progress of the case and expressed displeasure over procedural gaps in the investigation. The officer later admitted that there were multiple cases registered but said he was unable to clearly explain the investigation at that stage. After hearing arguments from both sides,