TOBA TEK SINGH: The Crime Control Department (CCD) busted a honey-trap gang and arrested a constable and eight other members of the gang, including two women, in Toba Tek Singh.

A police source said the gang was involved in blackmailing overseas Pakistanis and other prominent citizens. He said the main member of the gang was Constable Hafiz Qasim while identifying others as Muhammad Naeem, Wali Muhammad, Imran Saleem, Mudassar, Rashida, Asif, Asifa and Fayyaz.

The women members of the gang used to trap men in relationship, invite them to their homes and make explicit videos while other accomplices would snatch cash, mobile phones, gold and valuables. The suspects used to blackmail the victims through the videos and sometimes posed as CCD police officers to threaten them with murder in fake encounters.

The investigators found a number of nude videos and evidence had been recovered from the gang members’ mobile phones.

Sources said the gang was carrying out operations on a daily basis and many victims did not file complaints out of fear and shame. The suspects confessed to blackmailing citizens and extorting millions of rupees from them.

The gang, including a cop and two women, used to target expats and prominent people

The CCD registered a case against six arrested and two of their other accomplices on the complaint of one Abdullah Amin of Chak 323-GB, Pirmahal, who claimed in the FIR registered that he was sitting in the house of Naeem, one of the gang members, where he was forcibly stripped naked and filmed in objectionable condition with a woman.

They snatched Rs20,000 from him and received another Rs100,000 extortion through blackmail.

He said the suspects threatened to make his video viral on social media if he did not pay them another Rs400,000.

SPECIAL PERSONS: It is our social responsibility to provide equal facilities for the special persons who are the source of strength for the nation.

We must all commit to create a supportive environment and infrastructure that supports their potential.

This was stated by retired Col Shehzad Amir, CEO Punjab Charity Commission, while addressing the seminar on “No Child Stands Alone” arranged by the Institute of Home Sciences Faculty of Food Nutrition of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

He said every child deserved equal opportunities of education, development and expression regardless of physical or mental challenges.

He termed it a moral and national duty of every citizen to support differently-abled individuals so that they could contribute productively to the country’s development.

Dean Faculty of Food Nutrition and Home Sciences Dr Imran Pasha emphasised that educational institutions played a vital role in creating awareness and fostering empathy towards differently-abled persons. He encouraged teachers, parents and students to act collectively in creating an environment where children with special needs could learn, grow and thrive without discrimination.

Director Institute of Home Sciences Dr Beenish Israr said the institute was dedicated to sensitising youth about inclusivity and empowering families of children with disabilities through education and awareness.

Dr Asif Kamran called for collective efforts to create conducive and friendly environment for special children.

Amna Aftab, founder and CEO of Hum Mashal-e-Rah, Lahore, said we had to ensure the essential facilities for special persons.

Quratul Ain, head of Zunnoorain Foundation and Hira Tariq, Clinical Psychologist and Speech and Language Therapist, shared insights on refurbishing skills among special children.

ACCIDENT: A Faisalabad-bound mini-truck laden with eggs coming from Kamalia collided with a tractor-trolley on the Faisalabad-Multan Road near Chak 469-GB due to speeding.

As a result, its driver Ghulam Murtaza (35), a resident of Kamalia and his assistant Ali Raza (25) were seriously injured. They were shifted to Samundri THQ Hospital where Murtaza succumbed to his injuries.

MURDERS: A youth killed the father-in-law of his sister at Chak Fatehpur in Ahmadpur Sial tehsil of Jhang.

Police said Asif, son of slain Muhammad Nawaz (50), had contracted court marriage three years ago with the sister of Bilal Ahmad. After Bilal failed to kill his sister’s husband, he opened indiscriminate fire at his sister’s father-in-law Nawaz when he was passing through the street of the village and killed him on the spot.

Meanwhile, in Chak 84-JB, Faisalabad, an old farmer was asleep at his outhouse when he was killed by unidentified persons. Thikriwala police shifted the body of the deceased, Mahmood Ahmad (77), to Allied Hospital for autopsy.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2025