A stampede at the mehndi ceremony of TikToker Muhammad Ansar Jatt, known as Mr Patlu, at Faraz Cricket Ground on Daska Road in Sialkot on Saturday night, 31 October 2026, left two people dead and 18 injured, according to Sialkot police.
A large crowd had gathered for the ceremony and a prize-distribution event after the organisers promoted a lucky draw on social media, offering 50 motorcycles, a car and cash prizes, including a reported Rs20 million in cash. Police say that when the venue gates were opened and the crowd was told to enter at once, a rush towards the entrance caused a stampede in which several people fell and were trampled.
The first victim, 30-year-old Muhammad Aqeel of Budha Goraya, died on Saturday. A second injured man, Muhammad Rehan, who had been transferred to Lahore in critical condition, died on Sunday, 1 November. Rescue 1122 initially reported one death and around 14 injured; Sialkot police later put the number of injured at 18. The injured were taken to Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital in Sialkot.
The district administration had issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for a private mehfil-e-sama, a devotional music gathering, inside an enclosed space in Daska. After reports of violations emerged at around 4pm on Saturday, Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Awais Mushtaq revoked the NOC, but the organisers went ahead with the event anyway, in violation of the approved conditions and security procedures, according to the administration and police.
Police registered a case at Motra Police Station on 31 October, nominating nine people, including Mr Patlu, his brother Kashif, Faraz Sports Stadium owner Shahid Javed and other organisers, along with 40 to 45 unidentified security guards. The case includes charges of causing death by negligence, violating official orders, vandalism, incitement and unlawful assembly. Six suspects have been arrested, and police seized the 50 motorcycles and the car meant for the lucky draw.
Mr Patlu, who is from Syedewali village in Pasrur and rose from working as a labourer and rickshaw driver to become a popular TikTok livestreamer, fled the scene after the incident, according to police, and raids are continuing to arrest him and the remaining suspects.
In a video statement shared on social media on 2 November, Mr Patlu appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir not to hold him responsible, saying he was not present at the stadium when the stampede happened and that he would appear before police once his health improved. His remaining wedding functions have been postponed. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticised the TikToker on X on Sunday night, accusing him of using his influence to evade accountability. The investigation and the search for Mr Patlu are still under way.
Sources: Dawn (31 October, 1 and 2 November 2026), Express Tribune (2 November 2026), Hum English (1 November 2026), Daily Pakistan (1 November 2026), UrduPoint (1 November 2026), Gulf Today (1 November 2026).
Photo: Mr Patlu (file photo).