Farmhouse raid: police officials arrested for filming and leaking video

KASUR: Kasur police have arrested an investigation officer and a sub-inspector, and suspended the local Station House Officer (SHO) and a police security official, for allegedly filming and leaking a video following a raid on a farmhouse where a private party involving several men and women was under way.

In the video, which has gone viral on social media in Pakistan over the past 24 hours, the person recording the video of the party participants could be heard repeatedly saying “Look here, face forward, turn this one to the front. Make it ‘universal’, look here… what will people abroad say when they see this… viral, viral.”

The video shows numerous male and female suspects being filmed, while the person recording repeatedly instructs the women — who attempt to hide their faces — to face the camera or move their hair aside so they can be clearly identified.

In the footage, female officers in police uniforms could also be seen ensuring that each woman’s face is clearly shown on camera.

The nearly a dozen and a half men and women in the video could be seen hapless and visibly distressed and the women try to cover their faces to avoid being filmed.

Initially, police claimed they raided the venue because the men and women were allegedly dancing to loud music.

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After the video went viral, Kasur police sent a preliminary investigation report to the Punjab government, stating the event was a planned programme with tickets sold via social media. The Punjab government, meanwhile, confirmed that police officers involved in the raid have been arrested and suspended and further inquiry was under way.

Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Essa Khan said that both the local Station House Officer and a police security official were suspended and an investigating officer and a sub-inspector were arrested for filming and leaking the video.

He admitted that recording and leaking video of the detained individuals was “a violation of the law.”

He said that the police personnel involved in the raid and recording the film were arrested and charged under the PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) and for violating police service rules.”

What Happened?

The incident was formally registered on April 5 at Mustafaabad Police Station in Kasur district, based on a police complaint.

According to the FIR, on a tip-off about a dance party being held at a farmhouse with a large number of men and women in attendance, when police reached the venue, loud music and dancing were under way. It also alleged that the participants were consuming alcohol. “During the raid, the men and women at the party scattered, but were rounded up and asked for their names and addresses.”

The police report claims 35 men and 25 women were identified and arrested. The suspects reportedly hail from various cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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According to the police claim, alcohol bottles were recovered from the site, along with hookahs and a sound system. Around 25 vehicles at the farmhouse were also seized.

Police said the event organizers fled the scene and a search is under way to apprehend them.

What’s in the Video?

The viral video shows men and women who were arrested from the farmhouse in Kasur.
In the video, the person allegedly filming with a mobile phone camera focuses on each of the arrested women, one by one.

Background voices can be heard repeatedly instructing the women to look at the camera.
Some of the women try to cover their faces, but at one point, a female police officer is seen forcibly pulling a woman’s hand down to uncover her face. Another hand appears in the video, moving another woman’s hair away from her face.

“Govt Running Campaign Against Vulgarity”

Regarding the viral video of the arrests made during the alleged dance party in Kasur, Punjab government spokesperson Azma Bukhari told the BBC Urdu that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz immediately took notice and ordered an inquiry. The local SHO and the station writer have initially been suspended, she said.

Earlier, Kasur police claimed via their official account on X that “No such video was officially shared by district police. The police follow established SOPs and respect the dignity of every citizen.”

However, Kasur police also said that following the emergence of the video, the DPO had suspended the investigating officer and the station officer, with further investigation under way.

Azma Bukhari said that the Punjab government is running a campaign against “vulgarity and obscenity in the province, but No one is allowed to act above the law in doing so.”

She said that “anyone involved in the Kasur video incident will be punished in accordance with the law.” The DPO of Kasur is personally conducting the inquiry, she said.

She also said that while basic human rights cannot be compromised, no one will be allowed to spread “obscenity, indecency, or engage in inappropriate acts.”

“When I Saw the Video, the Ground Slipped from Beneath My Feet”

The family of one of the women nominated in the case said that on April 6, they were informed by Kasur police that their sister had been arrested.

She said that she is a TikToker and had traveled to Kasur for an event.

Her brother said, “Shortly after we got the call from the police station, I saw the video on social media and felt like the ground had slipped from beneath my feet. What kind of law is this? As far as we know, she hadn’t done anything wrong — it was a social media event. But even if something wrong happened, there’s a legal way to deal with it. Making her video go viral like this has destroyed us.”

Social Media Reaction

On social media, the video has sparked questions around privacy and intrusion into personal lives.

One user, Malik Fakhar, asked, “When the police arrest a murderer, robber, or terrorist, their faces are covered when shown to the media. So why were these people filmed and uploaded to social media like this?”

Activist Marvi Sirmed wrote, “None of the women in this video are semi-nude. No matter what happened, why did the police record and release their faces? This is a blatant violation of personal freedom and privacy rights.”

Human rights lawyer Nida Ali, associated with the Asma Foundation, told the BBC Urdu that “making and spreading videos and photos of suspects violates the constitutional rights to personal liberty and privacy under the Constitution of Pakistan.”

She said, “Even accused individuals — and those convicted by courts — have rights under the constitution, and protecting those rights is the police’s responsibility. The police cannot hand out punishment — that’s the court’s job. Forcing someone in front of the camera and branding them as criminals is a serious human rights violation.”

She said, “We don’t even know yet how many lives and families have been devastated by this. But with better strategy and a transparent investigation, future incidents can be prevented.”

DPO’s Response

Kasur DPO Muhammad Essa Khan said, “We are the police. It’s not our job to preach right and wrong… morality is a personal matter. We have to uphold the law and take action against any unlawful act.”

He insisted, however, that “the police did not violate anyone’s private event or personal space. Nor do we have the authority to interfere in anyone’s privacy unless the law is being broken.”