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Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in Karachi have rescued a minor girl from a Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) plot to use her as a suicide bomber after militants contacted and radicalised her through Instagram and other social media platforms.

According to reports, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar revealed the details at a joint press conference in Karachi alongside Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General Azad Khan and Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho. 

He explained that militants approached the child online and gradually indoctrinated her over time.

“Terrorists contacted the girl through social media, narrated fabricated stories and brainwashed her,” Lanjar said, adding that militants had prepared her to become a suicide bomber before law enforcement intervened.

The home minister emphasised that militant propaganda relies on falsehoods and urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity. “[Their] terrorists’ narrative is based on lies. Through social media, they spread a false narrative against the state,” he said.

Lanjar noted that the girl comes from a family with no apparent militant background. 

“She has two brothers, one of whom serves in the police,” he said. He also stressed the state’s commitment to the Baloch community, saying, “The state is standing with the Baloch people.”

CTD Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan provided further details about the radicalization process. He said, “A BLA terrorist first contacted the girl on Instagram and later added her to a WhatsApp group, where militants exposed her to hate-filled content and anti-state narratives.”

“Initially, she was given extremist material, followed by continuous indoctrination,” Azad Khan said. He explained that the girl used social media like other children her age and had no family history of militancy.

Khan revealed that militants had taken the child out of Karachi as part of the plot, but authorities intercepted her during snap checking outside the city. “Because of her age, we do not consider her a suspect,” he said, adding that authorities will not pursue the matter through the criminal justice system.

Authorities informed the family of the entire situation after recovering the girl. “They will be provided protection,” Khan added.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Shehrbano Naqvi has broken silence on allegations by Dr Ali Zain Ul Abideen of Lahore, who claimed the cop pressured him into pay millions of rupees to a patient over a medical dispute.

Denying the allegations, Naqvi shared a detailed clarification on her Instagram story and revealed that she only met both parties once, on May 9, 2025, at her office.

She made it clear that she was not involved in any financial transactions and did not harass, coerce or pressure anyone.

SP Naqvi added that “the admission of guilt and cheques had been provided before the case reached her office, and the apology letter from the clinic was issued without any police involvement”.

Any monetary exchange that later took place occurred after she had left her previous office for her new appointment.

SP Naqvi said she had been appointed Model Town SP in October/first week of November and had nothing to do with the office of Defence assistance superintendent of police (ASP) Defence since.

Additionally, the officer called on public to not share false information on social media, saying that spreading misinformation was a sin and her name should not be used for personal benefit or publicity.

She also said that those spreading misinformation should thank her for not pursuing legal action against them for spreading misinformation.

Earlier, Dr Ali Zain had in an interview alleged that he was forced to provide three cheques totaling Rs10 million to a female patient who underwent laser eye surgery at his clinic in April.

He claimed SP Naqvi, then Defence ASP, had instructed him to reimburse the patient despite the surgery being medically successful.
 

The doctor also alleged that his clinic guard was detained during a visit by police personnel and argued that police have no jurisdiction over medical procedures, which should be evaluated by a qualified medical board.

Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendants have been suspended following a public altercation at the Jeddah International departure lounge. 

The incident occurred as the flight was preparing to depart for Multan and was captured on video, which quickly circulated on social media and drew widespread attention.

According to the airline, the scuffle took place on December 23, while an immediate intervention by airport personnel prevented the situation from escalating further. 

A PIA spokesperson confirmed that both crew members involved have been suspended pending a thorough internal investigation, with disciplinary action to follow once all facts are verified.

This is not the first time PIA cabin crew have faced disciplinary scrutiny. In a separate incident last year, two male air hosts, Khalid Afridi and Fida Hussain, reportedly failed to report for duty on a flight from Islamabad to Toronto, forcing the airline to operate without them. 

PIA contacted Canadian authorities at the time, and strict action was promised once the investigation concluded.

The incident comes at a time of major transition for PIA, which has recently been privatised. Arif Habib Consortium acquired the national carrier after submitting the highest bid of Rs135 billion, narrowly surpassing the Lucky Consortium, which had offered Rs134 billion.

Under the terms of the deal, the government will receive Rs10.2 billion in cash, while the consortium has acquired a 75 percent majority stake in the airline. Officials note that this marks the first major privatisation in Pakistan in nearly two decades.

Adil Farooq Raja, a former army man turned YouTuber, has been placed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, by the federal government. 

The government had “reasonable grounds” to suspect Raja of engaging in actions endangering Pakistan’s security, integrity, and public order, according to a notification released by the interior ministry on December 27.

“He has consistently misused online platforms to promote, facilitate, and amplify anti-state narratives and propaganda associated with proscribed terrorist organisations, thereby acting in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and defence of Pakistan,” the notification said.

The Anti-Terrorism Act’s Section 11EE, which gives the federal government the authority to put people on the Fourth Schedule as proscribed persons, was cited as the basis for the decision. 

A summary of Raja’s proscription was authorized by the federal cabinet before the notification was sent out. On December 23, the interior ministry provided the summary.

Raja is a former Pakistan Army officer and currently resides in the United Kingdom. He runs a YouTube channel and has described himself publicly as a whistleblower.

About 20 days earlier, UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott received the extradition paperwork for Raja and former prime minister Shahzad Akbar from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Before that, Naqvi had said that authorities would seek the repatriation of UK-based YouTubers who were allegedly targeting state institutions and had initiated a crackdown on people spreading what the government referred to as “fake news.”

Reacting to the developement, Raja wrote in a post on X: “They may call the British High Commissioner to complain, but such a complaint is itself unlawful under UK statutes, as we have committed no wrongdoing.”

Earlier this month, a London high court ordered Raja to pay £350,000 in damages and legal costs after ruling that he had defamed a former intelligence officer through allegations of corruption and electoral interference.

In 2023, Raja was sentenced to 14 years in prison following a Field General Court Martial on charges of inciting sedition and was stripped of his military rank.

After PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested, Islamabad police accused Raja and another YouTuber from the UK, retired Captain Haider Raza Mehdi, of inciting unrest and attacks on military installations. 

The military’s media affairs wing did not directly connect the court martial proceedings to the events of May 9, 2023.