Court issues arrest warrants for actress Uzma Khan’s attackers

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate in Lahore has issued arrest warrants for three women who allegedly tortured actress Uzma and her sister at their residence in Lahore.

On Wednesday a first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered on Uzma’s complaint after outrage on social media when videos showing the actress and her sister being tortured went viral.

Property tycoon Malik Riaz’s daughters Pashmina Malik and Ambar Malik, Amina Usman Malik (wife of Usman Malik), and 15 unidentified armed men were nominated in the FIR. On 28 May, Defence C police filed an application in Cantt Kachhery seeking the arrest warrants of the three women.

During the hearing of the application today, the state lawyer representing the police informed the court that Amina, Pashmina and Ambar had all gone missing and were not joining the probe of the case despite being summoned by officials.

The lawyer appealed the court to issue their arrest warrants so that the case could be resolved according to law.

Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Shabbir Sial noted that the orders were being issued on the grounds that the suspects “have intentionally concealed themselves and are avoiding” arrest. He also noted that efforts were made by the investigation officer to arrest the suspects but they “could not be arrested”.

The IO made efforts for the suspects’ arrest but they “could not be arrested”, the magistrate noted, approving the police application and issuing the arrest warrants for the three women.