Pakistan Cop Trolled: SP Shehrbano Naqvi’s Viral Podcast “Murder Call”

The “Viral” Timeline

During the recording of a podcast, Naqvi is seen receiving a phone call from an SHO (Station House Officer). She abruptly stops the interview, says she has to go, and returns approximately one hour later.

What she claimed happened during the break:

• The Crime: A murder in Defence Phase A (K Block), Lahore, involving two friends and a money dispute.
• The Resolution: She described how the suspect held the victim’s family hostage, how relatives climbed a boundary wall to alert police, and how the perpetrator was caught—all within the 60-minute window she was away.
• The Verdict: She triumphantly told the podcaster, “Murderer ko police ne pakad liya” (Police have caught the murderer).

Social Media Reaction: “Faster than CID”

The video has clocked over 4.7 lakh views on X (formerly Twitter), with users pointing out that even the fastest fictional investigators wouldn’t be able to process a crime scene and catch a suspect in under an hour.

• “Yeh script likhta kaun hai?” (Who writes these scripts?) became the trending question.
• C.I.D. Comparisons: One user joked, “Even the Indian drama CID isn’t that fast… Shehbanu Sahiba must have ACP Pradyuman smashing a hammer on his head seeing this.”
• Acting Critiques: Comments like “Kidney-touching acting” and “Is it a murder or did the milkman come to deliver milk?” dominated the thread.

A Hero Under Scrutiny

The backlash is a stark contrast to the global praise Naqvi received in February 2024. At that time, as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), she was hailed as a hero for:

1. Rescuing a woman from a violent mob in Lahore’s Ichhra Market after the woman was falsely accused of blasphemy for wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy.
2. Being recommended for the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM), Pakistan’s highest gallantry award for law enforcement.
3. Fellowship: Earlier in 2025, she was selected for the prestigious Asia Society 21 Next Generation Fellowship for her commitment to community policing.

Critics now argue that her recent media appearances are shifting from “bravery” to “over-the-top PR,” while her supporters claim she was simply being a diligent officer on duty.