August 24, 2007	Friday	Sha’aban 10, 1428

SIALKOT, Aug 23: A proclaimed offender and his wife were shot dead in what the police claimed an encounter near Dhull Bangash canal bridge close to Lalamusa on Thursday noon.

Muhammad Iqbal alias Bala Bomb and his wife, Khalida Bibi, were declared proclaimed offenders for their involvement in cases of heinous crime.

Gujrat District Police officer Mahmoodul Hassan Qureshi told Dawn that Iqbal and his wife were fleeing with cash and valuables they has snatched from several people.

On a tip-off, a contingent of Gujrat, Kharian, Dinga and Begowala police officials chased and surrounded the robbers who opened fire on the police.

The police also showered the criminals with bullets as a result of which both Iqbal and his wife were killed, he said.

Notorious as Bala Bomb, the police said, Iqbal was a resident of Pannu Atari village in Sialkot and was a terror figure in the region.

The police in Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat had been looking for him for his involvement in scores of cases of murder, kidnap for ransom and robbery.

His wife Khalida Bibi was also wanted for being an active partner of Iqbal in heinous crimes. The DPO said the couple had a head money of Rs500,000.

He said Iqbal had killed sub-inspector Muhammad Illyas and three other officials of the Jalalpur Jattan police station in a shootout three years ago.

In another incident, they had kidnapped a CNG station owner in Sambrial and released him after taking Rs5.3 million ransom.