Raja Pervaiz Ashraf responds after alleged naming by ‘drug baroness’ Pinky

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday told the National Assembly he was taken aback after alleged drug suspect Anmol alias Pinky purportedly mentioned his name in a video recorded during a court appearance, while also saying he was ready to face any investigation into the matter.

A video from the suspect’s court appearance recently circulated on social media in which she could be heard saying Raja Pervaiz before her voice was drowned out by police officials accompanying her. According to Ashraf, another clip later emerged in which her lawyer said she was being pressured to name certain politicians. Dawn also reported that during a court appearance on May 18, the suspect said she was under pressure to take names.

Addressing the lower house, Ashraf said he initially wondered whether the suspect was referring to someone else with the same name. He also said social media users and vloggers began commenting on the matter soon after the clip spread online, while adding that his family, party colleagues and even political opponents stood by him and vouched for his character.

“I was shocked to hear which Raja Pervaiz Ashraf she was referring to,” Ashraf said speaking in the assembly, adding that “I have led a spotless life. I have served as a former prime minister and former NA speaker.”

Ashraf said the suspect had also named another person and suggested this may have been intended to divert attention. He told the house he was available for any inquiry and urged authorities to develop a legal or regulatory mechanism to prevent what he described as a media trial before the completion of an investigation. He said people and their families should not be subjected to mental distress through unverified accusations and stressed that citizens should be treated as innocent until proven guilty through due process.

Government response in the assembly

After Ashraf raised the issue, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq asked Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to respond. Geo News reported that the speaker also questioned whether cybercrime authorities should act against what he described as false propaganda.

Tarar expressed support for Ashraf and said the allegation was too baseless to be taken seriously by members of the house. He said the matter would be taken up with Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, adding that action would be taken at the state level. He also said the ministry would examine why the lawyer’s statement came later and that the investigating officer would be asked about it before he reported back to the assembly.

Tarar also criticised the media coverage of the suspect’s appearances and urged that morality, dignity and honour be considered in such reporting. He asked the Sindh inspector general of police to ensure that her court appearances were not televised and suggested she be brought quietly to court.

Speaker Sadiq, meanwhile, said the spread of drugs was hollowing out the nation and called for strict checks on narcotics use in schools, colleges and universities. He urged lawmakers to sit together and consider effective legislation to tackle the issue.

Details of the Pinky case

Geo News reported that Pinky, who is accused of operating a drug network, was arrested from her apartment in Karachi’s Garden area. The suspect, however, denied that account and alleged that she had been detained in Lahore 15 days earlier before being moved to Karachi.

Besides narcotics allegations, she is also facing murder charges and is in police custody on physical remand. On Tuesday, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said at a press conference in Karachi that several prominent names could emerge during the investigation. He said a task force was being formed and urged members of the public to cooperate with authorities and testify in court. The police chief also said multiple cases had already been registered against the suspect, including cases lodged by the Anti-Narcotics Force, and added that more people linked to the narcotics trade could be identified during the probe.