Nine suspects killed in multiple police encounters across Punjab
By Bilal Haider :
At least nine suspects have been killed and two police officers injured in a series of reported encounters with the Crime Control Department across several districts of Punjab, according to officials.
In Lahore, six suspects were killed in separate incidents. Police said a raid in the Sundar area led to an exchange of fire after officers attempted to arrest alleged robbers. Two suspects, identified as Alam Sher and Hashim, were killed, while two constables were injured and taken to hospital. Authorities claimed the suspects were wanted in dozens of criminal cases.
In another incident in Iqbal Town, officials said two suspects in custody were killed during a clash after their alleged accomplices opened fire on police while they were being taken for recovery of stolen items. Police claimed the suspects died from gunfire by their own associates during the exchange.
A third encounter in the Defence Housing Authority area involved three men on motorcycles who allegedly opened fire when stopped for identification. Police said two of them were killed in the retaliatory firing, while a third escaped.
Further incidents were reported in other parts of the province. In Sahiwal, two suspects were killed during a late-night operation near villages along the Sahiwal-Pakpattan road. Police said the men, who had earlier escaped custody, opened fire from a field before being killed in an exchange that lasted around 30 minutes. Two others managed to flee.
In Toba Tek Singh, a suspected drug dealer was killed after police said he and two accomplices opened fire at a checkpoint. The other suspects escaped, while weapons and drugs were reportedly recovered from the scene.
Meanwhile, in Bahawalpur, police said they arrested an alleged dacoit in an injured condition following an exchange of fire near Ahmedpur East. Officials claimed he was wounded by gunfire from his own accomplices, who fled the scene.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing in all cases, with efforts under way to track down suspects who escaped. Police also stated that weapons were recovered from several of the locations.
Such encounters are frequently reported in Pakistan, but they often draw scrutiny from human rights observers, who call for transparent investigations to ensure accountability and adherence to legal procedures.
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