Police in the eastern Pakistani city of Sialkot have arrested six people after a stampede at a pre-wedding celebration for a TikTok personality, and have registered a case against the organisers for breaching safety rules.
The crush happened at the Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road, where a mehndi — a henna ceremony held before a wedding — was combined with a prize-distribution event for a content creator who posts as “Mr Pattlo”. Police said organisers had drawn a large crowd by advertising a lucky draw on social media offering motorcycles, a car and other valuable items.
Accounts of what triggered the surge differ slightly. Pakistani daily Dawn reported that hundreds had gathered and that the stampede began as the stadium gates were opened. Arab News, whose report was carried in Sri Lanka by the Daily Mirror, said preliminary police findings indicated an announcement over the loudspeakers instructed everyone to enter the ground at the same time.
The casualty figures also diverge. Rescue 1122 initially recorded one death and 13 injuries. The Daily Mirror’s Sunday report gave one dead and 18 injured. Dawn, citing the public relations officer for the district police officer, reported the same 18 injured but said one of them later died at a government hospital, taking the toll to two.
Six people have been arrested. The TikToker fled immediately after the incident and remains at large, police said, with investigation and raid teams searching for him. Cases have been registered against nine named individuals — including the creator, the ground’s owner and other organisers — along with 40 to 45 unidentified security guards. The charges include violations of safety standard operating procedures and permit conditions.
The injured were treated and discharged. The crush disrupted traffic on the main Daska–Sialkot road, and police reported disorder and damage to public property. The “Mr Pattlo” account has more than 814,000 followers and 33.7 million likes.
The two outlets also differ on the night of the event and on the creator’s name: Dawn places the ceremony on Friday night and names him Muhammad Ansar Jatt, while Arab News describes a Saturday evening event and gives the name Ansar Mehmood. The Friday timing is consistent with both reports’ reference to a police statement issued on Saturday.