A judicial magistrate has issued a written order directing that all interrogation of alleged drug trafficker Anmol alias Pinky, widely referred to as Karachi’s “Cocaine Queen”, be conducted strictly in the presence of a female police officer, after the accused alleged she had been tortured by male officers in custody.

The court also ordered a medical examination by a female medico-legal officer (MLO) and directed that the report be submitted at the next hearing. The investigating officer has been instructed to produce Anmol before the court on May 22 along with a progress report on the investigation.

The accused was placed on a further four-day physical remand in police custody. Her defence lawyers argued she could be placed in judicial custody given pending cases against her in other courts.

The order follows a chaotic courtroom scene during a previous hearing in which Anmol, produced before the Judicial Magistrate South at the Karachi Judicial Complex in a murder case registered at Baghdadi police station, alleged she had been beaten by multiple investigating officers.

When she attempted to name influential figures connected to her case, police officers present in the courtroom raised a commotion to drown out her statement.

Plainclothes officials were also reported to have scuffled with journalists during that hearing before the magistrate cleared the press from the courtroom.

Background of the case

Earlier, Anmol alias “Pinky,” dubbed the “Cocaine Queen” by investigators, was arrested earlier this week during a joint operation conducted by Karachi police and federal agencies in the Garden area.

Authorities claimed she was operating a large narcotics network spanning multiple cities across Pakistan and was wanted in more than 10 criminal cases.

Police said high-quality narcotics worth millions of rupees, along with a pistol and ammunition, were recovered during the raid.

Investigators alleged that Pinky used female riders and digital payment channels to distribute drugs while avoiding police surveillance. Officials also claimed the network targeted students at educational institutions and affluent clients in major urban centres.

A local court later sent the accused to jail on judicial remand, while police subsequently secured a three-day physical remand for further interrogation.

The case drew further attention after videos circulated on social media showing the accused appearing in court without handcuffs and allegedly receiving protocol. Following the controversy, senior police officials ordered inquiries and suspended officers accused of granting undue privileges.

Investigators later revealed that Pinky allegedly operated drug supply networks from both Karachi and Lahore and maintained links with accomplices across several cities, including Islamabad, Multan, Murree, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Authorities also alleged that she launched her own narcotics brand under the name “Queen Madam Pinky” and used online payment systems and mobile franchise networks to handle transactions.

The investigation has since expanded to Lahore, where the Punjab government and the Crime Control Department (CCD) have initiated separate inquiries into the network and alleged procedural lapses in earlier cases linked to Pinky and her associates.