KARACHI: A district court on Wednesday remanded an alleged drug dealer in police custody for three days, a day after a magistrate refused the police request for her custody and sent her to prison on judicial remand.

The district judge noted that the magistrate had not given proper reasons for remanding suspect Anmol alias Pinky in judicial custody and had not considered the submissions made in remand papers for physical remand.

While setting aside the impugned order of the magistrate, the district and sessions judge (South) Zahoor Ahmed Hakro directed the jail authorities to hand over the custody of the suspect to the investigating officers (IOs).

He also said that the accused will remain in police custody from May 13 to May 15 and asked the IOs to produce her before the magistrate concerned after expiry of the remand period, and that further remand may be requested.

Police claimed that Pinky was arrested from her Garden apartment and officials recovered 1.5kg of cocaine, 6.9kg of other substances used to manufacture drugs and an unlicensed 9mm pistol from the flat.

Subsequently, she was booked in two cases under the provisions of the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2024 and the Sindh Arms Act at the Garden police station.

On May 12, the police brought her before the judicial magistrate (South), who refused to hand over the custody to the police and sent her to prison on judicial remand.

On Wednesday, IOs Inspector Sajida Rafique and Sub-Inspector Saeed Ahmed filed revision applications in both cases, challenging the judicial magistrate’s order. After hearing the IO and perusing the record, the district judge overturned the impugned order.

The district court in its order noted that as per the contentions of the IOs, the accused was the head of a narcotic gang and used to supply drugs through an established chain.

“The IOs further submitted that since the roots of this chain were to be ascertained by making proper interrogation from the accused in police custody, which could not be made due to the remand of the accused in jail custody,” it added.

It also said, “The perusal of the remand order shows that the learned judicial magistrate has not given proper reasons for remanding the accused in judicial custody”.

The arrest of the accused gained attention when a video of her being escorted to court without handcuffs went viral on social media. Subsequently, authorities suspended the investigating officer, including two other policemen, while the accused was sent on judicial remand by a judicial magistrate.

Inquiry transferred to West DIG

Police on Wednesday also transferred an inquiry into the escorting of the alleged drug dealer before a court without a proper procedure to the DIG of West Zone.

According to an order issued by Addl. IGP Karachi office, an earlier order issued on Tuesday, relating to an assignment of an inquiry to Mahzoor Ali, SSP South, was “cancelled/withdrawn.”

Irfan Ali Baloch, DIG Police West Zone, is hereby nominated as an inquiry officer to conduct an inquiry into the incident of presenting the accused Pinky in the court on May 12, “without following proper procedures.”

The inquiry officer has been directed to submit a detailed inquiry into the circumstances, fix responsibility and submit findings about the negligence of the responsible police personnel to the Addl. IGP Karachi office within three days positively for further action.

Sharjeel appreciates police

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the police achieved a major success by arresting the notorious drug dealer.

In a statement, Mr Memon said that the police deserve appreciation for this successful operation, as the accused Pinky had been wanted by law enforcement agencies for a long time. He added that she was operating an organised network involved in the distribution and supply of drugs across Pakistan.

He said that the network was involved in pushing the younger generation toward destruction and that the government is following a zero-tolerance policy against such elements.

He termed the incident that took place in the court, where the accused was given protocol, as regrettable. He said that the Sindh Home Minister had taken action over the incident, and two police personnel present at the scene had been suspended.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026