Week of police encounters

Suspected shooter killed, two cops injured in encounters

LAHORE:

Last week of May witnessed a flurry of police encounters in Lahore, with over ten incidents reported across the city.

Among these encounters, a notorious suspected shooter met his demise, while two police constables sustained injuries in a separate incident.

In Nawab Town on Sunday, June 2, two police constables became victims of gunfire during a routine encounter.

The suspected motorcyclists, upon being signalled to stop near Shano Baba Chowk, instead opened fire at the police, resulting in injuries to the constables, identified as Constable Ali Hamza and Imtiaz. The assailants managed to flee the scene.

In Batapur, a suspected shooter known for his involvement in numerous heinous crimes, including murder and robbery, was killed in an encounter with the Organised Crime Unit (OCU) Iqbal Town on Saturday evening.

Identified as Abdul Rafay, the suspect had been hurling threats at law enforcement via social media and was implicated in various criminal activities, including the recent killing of a citizen in Millat Park and an attack on the residence of Sardar Latif Khosa, a prominent lawyer and PTI MNA. While being transported to a safe location for identification, Rafay's accomplices reportedly initiated gunfire, leading to his demise.

Simultaneously, in different parts of Lahore, multiple suspected robbers faced arrest following injuries sustained during police encounters.

In Baghbanpura, a confrontation ensued when police attempted to halt two motorcyclists near Ring Road near Motorway Moriyan Mehmood Booti.

Despite orders to stop, the suspects resorted to firing, resulting in injuries to one suspect, identified as Ali Hassan, while another, known as Arshad alias Joker, managed to evade capture.

Similarly, in encounters with police in Badami Bagh and Shafiqabad, suspects on motorcycles engaged in gunfire, resulting in injuries to several individuals who were subsequently apprehended.

Identified as Ramzan, Shah Rukh, and Bilal, these suspects were implicated in various criminal activities and were taken into custody following the exchange of gunfire.

Further encounters occurred in South Cantonment and Barki, where suspected robbers engaged in gunfire with law enforcement, resulting in injuries and subsequent arrests. While Imran and Qaiser were arrested in South Cantonment, Sultan and Kamran were apprehended in Barki.

Despite efforts to evade capture, the remaining suspects managed to flee the scene.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2024.