Sialkot TikToker Arrested After Threats to Stampede Victim’s Family
The Sialkot TikToker arrest came on Monday, when police took Muhammad Ansar Jatt into custody after the family of a man killed in a stampede at his mehndi event said armed men had threatened them to drop the case.
Jatt, who is known online as Mr Pattlo, was taken into custody after a fresh complaint was filed at the City Daska police station, Dawn reported.
Sialkot TikToker arrest: threats at gunpoint, family alleges
The new first information report (FIR) was filed by Mohammad Abu Bakar, a resident of Gujranwala’s Mafiwala area. His brother-in-law, Mohammad Rehan Arshad, died in the stampede at Faraz Cricket Ground.
Abu Bakar said he was at his in-laws’ home in Galotian village on November 6 to offer condolences when four unknown men arrived at about 1pm. He said the men pressed the family to reach a compromise in the first case registered over the stampede.
When he stepped in, the complaint said, two of the men pulled out pistols and pointed them at him, warning that he and his family would be killed unless they made peace with Jatt and his brother.
The FIR names Jatt, his brother and four unknown people. It was registered under Sections 348, 109, 149 and 506-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which cover wrongful confinement, abetment, unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation.
District Police Officer spokesperson Khurram Shehzad confirmed the arrest. Sialkot DPO retired Captain Dost Muhammad said the investigation would be carried out on merit and that justice would be done.
The stampede on October 30
Jatt had promoted a mehndi night and prize-giving ceremony at Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road for October 30. A large crowd turned up, and when the gates were opened the crush left two people dead and 18 hurt. The stampede broke out as the gates opened.
Police at Motra registered the first case after the crush, naming Jatt, his brother, the ground’s owner, six others and between 40 and 45 guards who could not be identified.
The toll from the stampede rose to two dead in the days that followed, as police continued their investigation into how the crowd got out of control.
Bail and court dates
On November 3, the Islamabad High Court granted Jatt protective bail until November 10, allowing him to avoid arrest while he approached the relevant court for legal remedy. He surrendered before the court in a wheelchair.
Jatt then appeared before a Sialkot court on November 7, where Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Irfan Naseem Tarar ordered him to appear in court again on November 10.
The arrest in the new case comes a day before that court date.
Why this arrest matters
This is the fourth turn in a case Feature Pakistan has followed since October 31, from the stampede itself to the first FIR, then protective bail, and now an arrest in a separate case about alleged intimidation.
The new FIR matters because it is a separate matter from the stampede. The allegation is not about the crowd or the gates. It is about pressure on a bereaved family, and about guns being shown to force a compromise.
Families in such cases often face pressure to settle before trial, and the law treats threats to witnesses and complainants as a distinct offence. That is why the FIR lists intimidation and unlawful assembly alongside the stampede case, rather than folding the allegation into it.
The DPO’s promise of a merit-based investigation will now be tested in two directions at once: the original stampede case and the threats case that grew out of it.
Frequently asked questions
Who was arrested in Sialkot?
TikToker Muhammad Ansar Jatt, known online as Mr Pattlo. Sialkot police arrested him on Monday, November 9, after a fresh FIR was filed at the City Daska police station.
What is he accused of in the new case?
The family of stampede victim Mohammad Rehan Arshad alleges that unknown men threatened them with serious consequences if they did not reach a compromise in the stampede case. The FIR says two men aimed pistols at the complainant, Mohammad Abu Bakar, on November 6.
What happened at the mehndi event?
Jatt held a mehndi event and prize-distribution ceremony at Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road on October 30. Hundreds gathered, and a stampede broke out when the gates opened, killing two people and injuring 18.
What did the court decide earlier?
The Islamabad High Court granted Jatt protective bail on November 3 until November 10. He appeared before a Sialkot court on November 7 and was told to appear again on November 10.
What happens next?
Police say the investigation will be completed on merit. Jatt’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 10, a day after the arrest.
