Minar-e-Pakistan incident: 70 men identified, 66 detained

Police questioned more than 300 people.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The police on Saturday have arrested 66 people while 70 identified using geo-fencing and face matching over their alleged involvement in the assault on a female TikToker at Lahore s Greater Iqbal Park on Independence Day.

According to details, police questioned more than 300 people. More than 100 people taken into custody were geo-fenced and face matched with the video footage.

Then, with "digital mobile forensics", the 66 who were found to be present on location were arrested. Police presented the detained suspects in Minar-e-Pakistan incident before District Court. The court ordered to send 40 suspects in jail for identification.

The TikToker who was attacked and her colleagues will identify the suspects during the parade and the remaining suspects will also be arrested soon.

According to police sources, the accused were identified with the help of NADRA videos and detainees. The accused fled to Jhang, Sargodha and other districts after the news broke on the media.

According to sources, the medical of Rambo, a partner of TikToker Ayesha Baig, was also conducted. Ayesha and her accomplice Rambo s statements were recorded by CIA police. Further provisions may be added to the case after the medical report is recieved.

Police shortlisted 791 phone numbers with the help of geo-fencing. Of the shortlisted numbers, 60 numbers of suspects are located in Lahore only, while the others are residents of other districts. The shortlisted numbers were present near to Ayesha Akram at the time of the incident.

Deputy Inspector General (Investigations) Shariq Jamal said that they have questioned over 300 people in the case so far. Of those, over 100 people were taken into custody for further questioning, the police officer said, adding that their whereabouts that day were traced using geo-fencing and face matching.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor directed the investigation team to collect evidence of the Minar-e-Pakistan assault incident.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor directed the investigation team to seize the torn clothes of Ayesha Akram, the victim in the case.

The prosecutor also directed the team to send the viral social media videos of the incident for immediate forensics.

In another major development, the Lahore Sessions Court barred the police from arresting accused Shahroze Saeed till September 3.

The accused Shahrooz Saeed’s bail application has been filed before the arrest. The Sessions Court also demanded complete record of the Minar-e-Pakistan assault case from the police.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar took notice of the arrest of a 71-year-old senior citizen and the senior citizen was released after investigation.

In addition, more guards have been deployed at the gates by the Minar-e-Pakistan administration, pots and forests have also been repaired.

In Greater Iqbal Park, another video of women being molested and assaulted went viral. This video is from inside Minar-e-Pakistan. Meanwhile, an elderly woman and another girl try to save him, during which the girl escapes with great difficulty.

Earlier yesterday (Friday), Punjab Government Spokesperson Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said that Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar suspended Badami Bagh’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Usman Haider and Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Jameel in connection with Minar-e-Pakistan incident.

CM Buzdar had chaired a meeting on law and order situation and discussed Minar-e-Pakistan incident.

During the session, it was decided to make Deputy Inspector General (DIG) operations Sajid Kiyani as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) while Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nadeem Abbas and Additional SP operations Hassan Jahangir were directed to report Central Police Office.

The CM also suspended project director and deputy director of Greater Iqbal Park. He told that a letter will also be dispatched to federal government for action.

Earlier, a video of insulting, assaulting and harassing a female TikToker named Ayesha Akram, at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on Independence Day (August 14) went viral on social media.

A case was registered against 400 persons after chief minister’s notice on the incident.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill confirmed that 66 people have been arrested in the Minar-e-Pakistan incident.

Regarding another incident of the harassment of a girl in an auto-rickshaw, Gill said that an FIR had been registered and vowed to bring the culprits to justice soon.