Bahawalpur Police Hunt Suspect In Viral Cocaine Queen Case
Bahawalpur police have launched action to trace a suspect allegedly connected to the wider drug supply network linked with Anmol alias Pinki, a woman currently in Karachi police custody in a case that has drawn intense public and media attention across Pakistan. The development emerged after investigators reportedly identified a man from Hasilpur, Bahawalpur district, as part of the alleged countrywide narcotics chain.
The suspect has been identified as Tahir Saleem, who police officials say belongs to Hasilpur tehsil. After his name surfaced during the ongoing investigation in Karachi, district and regional police in Bahawalpur began checking his background, previous addresses and possible local links to determine whether he remained connected with individuals in the area.
According to police information reported from Bahawalpur, Saleem was originally associated with Chak No 16-Fordwah in Hasilpur. Officials said he later moved to Chak 62-Fateh, also in Hasilpur tehsil, before leaving that location as well. Police are now reviewing his movements and past record to establish his current whereabouts and the extent of his alleged role in the network.
District police spokesperson Naeem Ahmed confirmed that Saleem was a resident of Hasilpur, while regional police officials also acknowledged that the suspect had been linked to earlier narcotics allegations. Haji Saqib Ajmal, public relations officer to the regional police officer, said Saleem had later shifted to Lahore, where a drug trafficking case was registered against him in 2019.
The earlier case was registered at Lahore’s Liaqatabad police station under provisions of the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997. Police records cited in the report state that the case was filed after a complaint by an official from Wahdat Colony police station, and that Saleem was arrested near RS Pulli in Lahore.
Investigators at the time allegedly recovered more than two kilograms of charas from Saleem’s possession. The first information report also mentioned an initial statement in which he allegedly admitted working for Anmol alias Pinki, making the older case relevant to the current inquiry into the suspected drug network.
The case has become viral because it connects street-level narcotics allegations with claims of a broader supply chain extending across cities. Law enforcement agencies are now examining whether the network was limited to a few handlers or involved a larger structure of suppliers, facilitators, transporters and buyers operating across provincial boundaries.
For Pakistan, the investigation has wider social and law-and-order significance. Narcotics cases involving alleged supply to students and urban consumers raise concerns about educational institutions, youth safety, policing gaps and the ability of drug networks to move between cities without early detection.
The next stage of the probe is expected to focus on locating Tahir Saleem, verifying his criminal record and coordinating information between Punjab and Sindh police. Authorities will also need to establish whether older narcotics cases can help uncover the current structure of the alleged network and identify other suspects linked to the supply chain.