40 held after police raid Halloween party

TikToker among detainees, police recover narcotics

LAHORE:

A judicial magistrate at Model Town Katcheri on Wednesday sent more than 40 people to jail on judicial remand following their arrest during a police raid on a Halloween party in Lahore's upscale Gulberg area.

Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Afzal presided over the proceedings after police presented the accused before the court, seeking their judicial custody. The court ordered that all detainees be remanded in judicial custody.

Police said a total of 51 individuals, including 31 men and 20 women, were taken into custody during the late-night raid at a private boutique hotel.

Authorities said the operation was carried out after a tip-off about illegal activities at the venue.

During the raid, police claimed to have recovered narcotics, alcohol, shisha setups, and contraband cigarettes.

All seized items have been sent for forensic analysis.

A case has been registered at the Gulberg Police Station against the event organiser and participants under relevant sections of the law related to the possession and use of banned substances.

Police sources said that some of the detained individuals belong to "influential families," while social media personality and TikToker Susan Khan (Suzanne Khan) was also among those arrested.

Law enforcement officials added that attempts were made overnight to pressure the police for the release of several detainees, but no one was discharged pending further investigation.

The court directed police to submit a progress report on the case at the next hearing.

Investigations are ongoing and police have not reported any additional arrests so far.