LAHORE: A judicial magistrate at Cantt Courts has discharged three women arrested in a case involving an altercation with customs officials at Lahore airport and issued a show-cause notice to the investigating officer for negligence.

Magistrate Saeed Ahmad Virk announced the verdict, ordering the release of the suspects — Noor Fatima, Saman Khalid and Alisha Malik — residents of Hafizabad.

The magistrate’s decision stated that the investigating officer (IO) failed to collect evidence in the case. It said the IO neither visited the crime scene nor submitted the recovered items before the court.

The verdict also noted that the IO did not record statements of eyewitnesses present at the scene and he didn’t obtain or submit the CCTV footage of the incident.

The magistrate found no incriminating material against the women suspects and issued a separate show-cause notice to the officer for his incompetence.

The magistrate dismissed a request of the IO of sending the women suspects to jail on judicial remand and ordered their immediate release if not wanted in any other case.

The incident in question took place a day earlier at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, where a scuffle broke out between the female passengers and the customs officials.

According to the customs authorities, the dispute occurred when the luggage of the women arriving from Abu Dhabi was not cleared, resulting in a heated exchange. The customs officials recovered 40 cameras and 40kg bridal dresses from their luggage.

Both sides allegedly slapped each other and customs women officials reportedly dragged the passengers by their hair and took them into custody.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2025