NA committee takes up viral video controversy, seeks reports from police chiefs

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Wednesday took serious notice of a controversial video clip involving a woman identified as Anmol alias “Pinky”, which surfaced on social media earlier this week and allegedly implicated former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th May, 2026) The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Wednesday took serious notice of a controversial video clip involving a woman identified as Anmol alias “Pinky”, which surfaced on social media earlier this week and allegedly implicated former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The Committee’s 26th meeting, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA, convened at Parliament House and opened with Ashraf’s account of the incident. He informed members that the woman had mentioned his name in court while in police custody, but another video released shortly afterward claimed she had been pressured into doing so. Calling the allegations “orchestrated” to damage his reputation, Ashraf requested the Committee to take urgent action and proposed legislation to curb the circulation of unverified videos online.

Briefing the Committee, the Additional Inspector General of Police, Sindh, said the accused had been part of an online drug distribution network operating in Karachi since 2018 and that 17 cases had been registered against her. He confirmed that no evidence linked Ashraf to the case and that action had been taken against police personnel involved in mishandling the accused.

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Committee members, including Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, expressed concern over the use of social media for political manipulation. They emphasized responsible media conduct and called for strong legislation to prevent character assassination without evidence.

The Committee decided to seek written reports from the Inspectors General of Punjab and Sindh on the circumstances surrounding the allegations and the spread of the viral video. It also recommended convening another meeting with Cyber Crime authorities, NCCIA and the ANF to investigate similar incidents reported in Hyderabad.

Several legislative items—including the Criminal Procedure Code Amendment Bill and multiple Islamabad local government amendment bills—were deferred or withdrawn, while the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was recommended for passage.

The Committee also raised concerns over excessive police checkpoints in Islamabad, urging intelligence-based policing to minimize inconvenience to the public.

Matters related to CDA land compensation delays and alleged FIA misconduct in Karachi were also reviewed, with inquiries and detailed reports sought.