Qindeel Azeem

For over a year, one name haunted Pakistan’s digital underworld—“Imaan.” She lured hundreds of young men online with promises of love, work, or escape. Some were never seen again. Others ended up in torture cells or facing death penalty trials for blasphemy. No one knew who she really was. Until now.

Behind the veil of a false identity, and operating from posh Islamabad guesthouses and dusty alleys in Mirpur, “Imaan” was the invisible weapon of a powerful, religiously-motivated gang called Blasphemy Business Group (BBG) by one of the Pakistan’s important law enforcement agency. This gang, led by senior lawyer and blasphemy hardliner Advocate Rao Abdul Raheem, has systematically honey-trapped, abducted, and silenced dozens—sometimes by murder. With disturbing connections inside Pakistan’s law enforcement, courts, and federal investigation agencies, the gang used religion not just as a shield, but as a lethal weapon.

A Nation Wanted to Know: Who Is ‘Imaan’?

The question echoed from courts to cafes: Who is the girl known as “Imaan”? A figure of terror cloaked in mystery, she had become the stuff of urban legend—entrapping young men and women online and delivering them to death or uncertain imprisonments, either by blasphemy charges or extrajudicial murder. Who is Imaan, really — the mastermind or just a pawn in the game of religious fanatics?

With no photographs or official details available, public speculation soared. Yet no media outlet, no law enforcement agency and no government agency dared to investigate her true identity.

Until now.

Tracking the Ghost: FactFocus Follows the Trail

The FactFocus team launched a long, methodical investigation. Working closely with law enforcement insiders, tracing mobile data, and analyzing Eid holiday travel patterns, we slowly closed in on her. The turning point came when we analyzed her video call appearances with victims. These visuals and her mobile locations during the Eid holidays led FactFocus to Mirpur, Azad Kashmir—her ancestral city.

Her pictures were  shown to socially active locals Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. At some times, FactFocus shared her pictures online purposely. After months of painstaking legwork, we identified “Imaan” as Komal Ismail—the youngest of five siblings, with a history of fraud, impersonation, and organized criminal activity. Komal is 35. Her family is a resident of Bohar Colony, near Band Road (Sangot) Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. This address kies in the jurisdiction of Thothal Police Station, Mirpur (AJK). According to the records of the Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST), Komal graduated with a degree BSCS in the batch of 2009-13. 

According to some experts, Komal could also be one of them many women trafficked and used as a tool in religious activism.

From Mirpur to Murder: Komal’s Rise in the Underworld

Komal’s criminal record started before she joined the blasphemy gang. In April 2021, Taimur Ali (Komal’s brother) and Muhammad Farooqi (Komal’s husband) along with Komal were involved in the cold-blooded murder of 36-year-old Mughees Shah in Islamabad’s DHA area.

The murder—captured on CCTV—led to FIR No. 202/2021 at Sihala Police Station. Despite clear evidence, the trio manipulated the system with the help of powerful connections in the FIA and Islamabad police.

The legal outcome was shocking: Taimur Ali, who admitted to the killing, was sentenced to just 10 years. Komal and her husband were released after a brief detention.

BBG Head Rao Abdul Rahim counsel for Komal, Muhammad Farooqi and Taimur in a Muder Case

Muhammad Farooqi, Taimur Ali, and Komal were represented in court by none other than Advocate Rao Abdul Raheem, the head of the Blasphemy Gang. The same man who, to this day, claims no connection with the honey-trapping operations.

The Headquarters in Islamabad—and a $20-a-Night Guest House in Pakistan’s Most Affluent Elite Neighbourhood

FactFocus investigations reveal that Komal, who was initially issued a NADRA CNIC with a permanent address of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, later moved to Islamabad and was issued a new CNIC listing her permanent address as House No. 147, Street 37, F-10/1—in one of the capital’s most elite residential areas. This address is listed on Google by one Hamza Younis Farooqi as the “Arley Guest House”, offering rooms for a suspiciously low rate of $20 per night.

FactFocus team visited the property repeatedly. It appeared abandoned in recent days, likely tipped off to the investigation. According to CDA records, until 1991, this house was owned by one Bashir Ahmad Qureshi when it was divided in two parts (147 and 147-A) and transferred to two persons Ayub Akhtar Qureshi and Muhammad Younis Farooqi. Then in 2007, at the time of death of Muhammad Younis Farooqi, this house (147) was transferred to Hamza Younis Farooqi, Fazil Younis, Bilal Younis, and others. There are name plates of ‘Younis Farooqi’ and ‘Hamza Younis Farooqi’ on the house. 

When FactFocus contacted Hamza Younis Farooqi and inquired about Muhammad Farooqi, Hamza stated that Muhammad Farooqi had moved out of Pakistan and was currently residing in the United Arab Emirates. When asked about Komal, Hamza replied that he would need to check about her and declined to provide further information at that time.

However, Hamza later called back and stated that Muhammad Farooqi and Komal Ismail were not related to him or his family, and that they had been tenants at his residence from 2013 to 2018. When questioned about how NADRA had registered their permanent address as his home, Hamza said he would visit the NADRA office to ask them about this.

Hamza further revealed that police raided his house in 2021 in connection with a murder case involving Muhammad Farooqi, due to the shared permanent address. However, he was unable to explain why he did not report the matter to NADRA at that time, despite the police action.

Komal’s husband Muhammad Farooqi was born in 1988. His other family members include his father Abdul Raheem Farooqi, mother Shamas Al Nisa, and sister Maria Farooqi. Komal’s father Chaudhary Muhammad Ismail, 84, was a Tehsildaar in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. Her other family members include her two mothers Zareena Chaudhary and Salamt Begum, brother Taimur Ali, 38, and sisters Rozmeen Ismail Riaz, 36, Qurat ul Ain Malik, 42, Noor al Ain Nazeer, 41. According to a government investigation agency, some of her family members reside in the United Kingdom.

The Blasphemy Gang Structure: A Deadly Network

Komal didn’t act alone. She was a critical tool in a gang led by Advocate Rao Abdul Raheem, a known blasphemy hardliner with a national platform. The gang’s core structure includes:

            •         Rao Abdul Raheem (Leader)

            •         Shiraz Farooqi & Hassan Muavia (Key Associates)

            •         FIA/NCCIA insiders enabling torture, and fabricated FIRs

            •         Ghazanfar Ali (Rao’s assistant), who fraudulently registered SIM cards using the identity of a poor South Punjab woman, Khursheed Mai

The gang’s playbook was simple but deadly: Komal, under the alias “Imaan,” along with some other girls would lure young men and women using fake romantic propositions, job offers, or emigration opportunities. Once they reached the meeting point—often a white Suzuki Cultus ALA 356—they were kidnapped, tortured, or murdered. Survivors were handed to FIA’s Cyber Crimes Wing (now NCCIA) and slapped with blasphemy charges, often fabricated and impossible to fight in court.

Case Study: The Killing of 21-Year-Old Abdullah Shah

One of the most horrifying cases involved Syed Abdullah Shah, a 21-year-old student from Rawalpindi. Lured to F-10 Markaz through a mobile number controlled by Rao Abdul Raheem, Abdullah was never seen alive again. The place where Abdullah was invited was at a walking distance from F-10 address. He was kidnapped, tortured, and killed. When his father Syed Amir Shah tried to seek justice, he was implicated in a fabricated blasphemy case.

The gang demanded Syed Amir Shah publicly to record a statement before police to exonerate Rao Abdul Raheem in exchange for withdrawing the blasphemy charges—threatening to charge his other children otherwise. Under pressure, he complied.

Forgery, Fraud, and Judicial Impersonation

Komal and her husband’s criminal history doesn’t stop at murder and kidnapping. In early 2024, when Komal’s brother Taimur was jailed in Jhelum, Muhammad Farooqi impersonated the Attorney General of Pakistan to secure a meeting with him. They falsely claimed endorsement by a Supreme Court judge.

Once exposed, they were arrested and booked under FIR No. 39/24 at Civil Lines Police Station, Jhelum—yet again managing to avoid long-term consequences.

The Bigger Picture: A Blasphemy Industry for Power and Control

This case is not an isolated horror—it’s a symptom of a wider disease. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, meant to protect religious sentiments, have been weaponized by criminal networks for extortion, revenge, and control. The involvement of FIA/NCCIA officers, lawyers, and federal investigators shows just how deep this rot runs.

The FactFocus investigation reveals that blasphemy has now become an industry, where lives are traded and destroyed for personal gain and vendetta. Initially, it was designed to only benefit the ruling elite of Pakistan.

FactFocus releasing all the data

FactFocus is publishing this report with copies of FIRs, official records, and proof of communication used by Komal and Rao Abdul Raheem. The material includes:

            •         NADRA records of Komal Ismail and other characters

            •         FIRs related to murder, fraud, and impersonation

            •         SIM registration data and travel logs (Released in previous report)

            •         Video screenshots of “Imaan” and testimonies from victims’ families

FactFocus is now also submitting a full dossier to international human rights organizations, urging them to monitor the misuse of blasphemy laws and the situation of women-trafficking which is raising alarms about state complicity.

`Justice?

In Pakistan, where accusing someone of blasphemy can mean their death before trial, uncovering a fake blasphemy racket is a matter of national urgency. This is not just about Komal or Rao Abdul Raheem. It’s about reclaiming the sanctity of law and protecting innocent lives from being crushed under false religious charges.

FactFocus pledges to continue this work. FactFocus asks the people of Pakistan, the judiciary, civil society, and international observers to take a hard look at what we have uncovered—and to act before more lives are lost.

Editorial Note:

The team at FactFocus recognizes that Komal plays a significant and proactive role in the operations of this network targeting young individuals. However, it is equally important to acknowledge the influence her handlers exert over the system—particularly in a patriarchal and traditionally structured society like Pakistan. FactFocus will continue its investigation into the circumstances of her involvement and remain committed to factual, transparent reporting in the days ahead.

We urge the state to take immediate and effective action to ensure the safety of all women exploited in honey-trapping schemes orchestrated by the Blasphemy Business Group (BBG), and to provide them with the protection they urgently need.

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