Former Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday distanced himself from drug queen Anmol alias Pinky, after the latter allegedly named him. Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Ashraf, who served as the 17th from June 2012 to March 2013, said he had lived a “spotless life.”
What Anmol ‘Pinky’ said
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced online in which Pinky allegedly named him during a court appearance. In the video, Pinky can be heard saying the name “”, before her voice became inaudible due to the noise around.
Later, another video also surfaced online in which her lawyer told reporters that Pinky was being pressured into taking the names of certain politicians. According to a report by Dawn, during her court appearance on Tuesday, Pinky also claimed that she was facing pressure “to take names”.
Who is Anmol ‘Pinky’
Anmol, alias Pinky, who the police say was running a sophisticated cocaine processing and delivery operation spread across , Lahore and Islamabad, was arrested by the Karachi Police on May 12.
Investigators said Pinky used to take orders through WhatsApp and have drugs delivered to the doorsteps of her customers.
According to Express Tribune, Pinky allegedly claimed that “no one in Pakistan makes better cocaine” than hers.
Police recovered cocaine hydrochloride, , ephedrine hydrochloride, acetone, and baking powder from her possession. The seized material included nearly seven kilogrammes of raw chemicals and more than 1.5kg of prepared cocaine.
Ready for investigation: Ashraf
Responding to the allegations, linking his name with Pinky, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader said he was surprised.
“When I heard the name, I thought perhaps it is a different Raja Pervez Ashraf,” he said.
“Soon after the video, people started commenting on the incident on social media and making vlogs about it,” Ashraf said.
Expressing apprehensions that Pinky took his name to divert attention, Ashraf said he was ready for any probe into the allegations.
“I have led a spotless life. I have served as a former prime minister and former NA speaker,” he said.
“This woman had earlier taken the name of another personality, and I believe this was done to deflect attention, so that focus could be shifted elsewhere, or to gain advantage, or to divert the matter in another direction, or to create dispute among people,” he added.
Ashraf also called for a mechanism to regulate commentary on social media while an investigation was ongoing. According to him, there should be a “mechanism or legal framework” to prevent any further such incidents.
- The importance of a legal framework to manage social media commentary during ongoing investigations.
- The potential impact of social media on public perception and the reputations of individuals involved in legal controversies.
- The need for due process and accountability in the face of sensational claims made in the media.
