Sialkot Stampede Deaths Rise to Two as Six Are Held
Prior Feature Pakistan coverage: https://featurepakistan.com/sialkot-mehndi-stampede-october-2026/
The death toll from the Sialkot mehndi stampede has risen to two, and police say six people have been arrested. Sialkot police gave the update on Sunday, 1 November, two days after a crowd surge at Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road during a TikToker’s mehndi and prize-distribution event.
Feature Pakistan reported on 31 October that one man had died and 14 people were hurt in the crush on Friday night. Police now say 18 people were injured in total. One of the injured died at a government hospital, taking the death toll to two.
Police also confirmed that a case has been registered and that teams are still trying to arrest the TikToker at the centre of the event, Muhammad Ansar Jatt, known as Mr Pattlo.
Six arrests and a hunt for the organiser
Sialkot District Police Officer Dost Muhammad confirmed the arrest of six people involved in managing the event. Police teams have been formed to arrest the remaining suspects, using modern technology, human intelligence and traditional policing methods.
Police said Jatt fled the scene immediately after the incident. Officers have taken 50 motorcycles and a car into custody. Those vehicles were meant to be prizes in the lucky draw planned for Friday night.
The DPO said organisers had invited a large crowd by advertising a lucky draw on social media, with motorcycles, a car and other valuable items as prizes. During the event, an announcement over loudspeakers told all attendees to enter the grounds at the same time. That simultaneous entry into the stadium triggered a severe stampede, the DPO said.
He added that organisers violated the terms of their permit and established safety procedures. The stampede also disrupted traffic on the main Daska-Sialkot Road.
“Negligence regarding safety arrangements at any public gathering or event which puts human lives at risk cannot be permitted,” the DPO said. He added that legal action would be taken against everyone responsible, without discrimination.
Permit was for a different event, officials say
A spokesperson for the Sialkot district administration said the no-objection certificate, or NOC, had been issued for a mehfil-i-samaa, a gathering for devotional music and poetry, at a private event within an enclosed space in Daska.
The spokesperson said the programme was meant to start after Isha prayers on Friday. Reports of irregularities reached officials as early as 4pm on Friday, and Deputy Commissioner Awais Mushtaq then revoked the NOC.
The administration said the event was cancelled before it could begin because its terms had been violated, yet hundreds had already gathered and a stampede occurred when the gates opened.
That gap between the revoked permit and the crowd at the ground is now central to the investigation.
FIR names organiser, brother and ground owner
The first information report, dated 31 October, was registered at Motra Police Station on the complaint of Inspector Mubeen Ahmed. Dawn reported that the FIR is available with the newspaper.
The FIR names Jatt, his brother, the owner of Faraz Cricket Ground and six other organisers. It also names 40 to 45 unidentified security guards.
It invokes sections of the Pakistan Penal Code covering qatl-bis-sabab, disobedience to an order by a public servant, rioting armed with a deadly weapon, unlawful assembly, mischief causing injury to a public road, and mischief committed after preparation to cause death or hurt, along with abetment. It also invokes Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
The FIR accuses the suspects of violating the permit terms and safety procedures. The alleged violations include misuse of loudspeakers, blocking a main road, vandalism of citizens’ motorcycles, and loss of life and property.
What happens next
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the Sialkot stampede?
Two people have died. Police first reported one death on Friday night, and a second injured person later died at a government hospital.
How many people were injured?
Police say 18 people were injured in the stampede at Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road in Sialkot.
Who has been arrested?
Six people involved in managing the event have been arrested. TikToker Muhammad Ansar Jatt, known as Mr Pattlo, fled the scene and is still being sought by police.
What does the FIR allege?
The FIR, registered at Motra Police Station, names Jatt, his brother, the ground owner, six other organisers and 40 to 45 unidentified guards. It alleges permit violations, safety failures, road blocking, vandalism and loss of life and property.
Why was the event’s NOC revoked?
The district administration said the NOC was issued for a private devotional gathering after Isha prayers. It was revoked after reports of irregularities reached officials on Friday afternoon, because the terms and conditions had been violated.
