The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday summoned Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar with relevant record on Wednesday in connection with a petition filed regarding an alleged killing of a suspect in a police encounter.
LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition filed by Farhat Bibi, seeking protection for her son Ansar Aslam, currently incarcerated in Sheikhupura Jail. The petitioner's counsel alleged that both sons of his client, Ghazanfar Aslam and Ansar, had been arrested by Sharaqpur police.
He claimed that Ghazanfar was killed in a "fake police encounter" on April 22 and expressed concern that another son of his client may also meet the same fate.
The chief justice raised serious concerns over the pattern of custodial deaths, remarking that the court has been seeing a surge in petitions related to killings during alleged police encounters by the Crime Control Department (CCD).
The chief justice also questioned the credibility of such encounters.
In response to a court query, the Sharaqpur station house officer (SHO) claimed that the suspect was killed during an attack by his accomplices.
However, the court questioned whether any police constable was injured or if any official vehicle had been damaged.
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