Law and order: ‘Suspect’ shot dead

FAISALABAD: A man suspected of robbery was shot dead late on Tuesday in a shootout with the police.

The deceased, Shahzad Gulfam, and his accomplices had allegedly snatched a motorcycle from a person near Dhuddiwala and fled towards Satiana Road. A team from Sadar police station reached the scene of the crime and pursued the men.

City Police Officer (CPO) Dr Haider Ashraf said on Wednesday that a police team had managed to encircle the suspects near Awanwala and urged them to surrender. He said the suspects resorted to firing at the police instead. Dr Ashraf said they abandoned the motorcycle and took cover in the fields. He said one of the men was seriously injured in the exchange of fire. The CPO said three other suspects identified as Bilal, Usman and Majeed fled from the location. Shahzad was taken to a hospital but died on the way. The body was taken to a hospital for autopsy.

Dr Haider Ashraf said that a team had been constituted to trace and arrest the missing suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2014.