National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior once again took up the case of alleged drug queen Anmol alias Pinky, where former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf personally appeared before the committee and clarified that the lawyer of Anmol Pinky had given different statements before and after mentioning his name in court.
The meeting, chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz on Wednesday, saw committee members raise tough questions regarding the performance of institutions, media coverage, and the growing narcotics network.
Speaking on the matter, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf told the committee that the first video clip he received stated, “Raja Pervaiz Sahib, many people called asking how your name became part of this matter.” He added that within an hour, another clip of the lawyer was received in which the lawyer stated that Anmol had said she was being subjected to violence and pressured to take Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s name. He expressed surprise, saying that since his party’s government was in Sindh, he could not understand why such pressure would be exerted there.
He further said that vloggers seek sensational content to sell on social media, adding that while such trends may not be completely eliminated, they should at least be controlled and limited.
Committee chairman Raja Khurram Nawaz stated that Anmol Pinky’s lawyer had mentioned Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s name during a court appearance and asked officials from Sindh Police and the Federal Investigation Agency to respond.
Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan briefed the committee that Anmol Pinky had allegedly been linked to drug networks in Lahore and Karachi for the past 18 years. He said significant evidence, including contacts with foreign dealers, had been recovered from her mobile phone. According to the briefing, Anmol Pinky used Bykea riders to supply narcotics, while her two brothers and several women were also allegedly part of the network.
During the session, Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan criticized cybercrime institutions, stating that in many cases the media ends up solving matters, while police still lack modern forensic facilities.
Agha Rafiullah questioned how the matter would have surfaced if the media had not televised the court proceedings, while Tariq Fazal Chaudhry remarked that the media had turned the case into an unusually high-profile issue.
Separately, during a session of the National Assembly of Pakistan chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, references were made to alleged contacts between Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Anmol Pinky circulating on social media. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf rejected all allegations being spread online.
Raising a point of order in the assembly, the former prime minister said that the woman arrested in the narcotics case had stated in court that she was under pressure to name him. He added that initially the same woman had also accused another personality. He stressed that social media should have rules and regulations to prevent individuals from being subjected to baseless allegations that damage their reputation.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq spoke in support of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, stating that everyone knows him well and that if such allegations could happen to him today, they could happen to anyone tomorrow.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government would go to every forum to protect the dignity and respect of every member and that strict action would be taken in the matter. He added that laws already exist and their impartial implementation must now be ensured.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq further remarked that drugs are consuming the younger generation like termites, emphasizing that both federal and provincial governments must take swift measures to eliminate narcotics.
