ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy during an encounter between the police and car lifter(s).

The prime minister directed the interior ministry to conduct the inquiry and fix responsibility on those who were involved in the boy’s killing.

On the direction of the prime minister, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rana Akbar Hayat has been appointed as the inquiry officer, and has been asked to submit the inquiry report as soon as possible.

According to the police, Zeeshan, a resident of CDA Colony Sector I-10/1, died when a bullet hit him during a gunbattle between the police and the car lifter(s).

It is yet to be ascertained as to whose bullet hit the boy, and under what circumstances, the police said.

They said dozens of pedestrians started running to save their lives when the gunbattle started.

The auto-thieves lifted a car from G-9/1 which was intercepted by a police patrolling party at Khayaban Chowk near Sabzi Mandi police station. Instead of stopping the culprit(s) opened fire on the police officials in order to escape.

The officials also retaliated, but the car lifter(s) managed to escape. Later the car was found parked along a roadside with the culprit(s) missing.

The car was handed over to Margalla police as it was stolen from their jurisdiction.

The police claimed that only four shots were fired by the policemen which hit the vehicle. To substantiate their claims the officials will also give the number of bullets they were carrying at the time of the incident, they added.

The number of shots fired by the culprit(s) is not known, the police said.

They said the body of the deceased was taken to his native village near Gujar Khan for burial without conducting autopsy. The police said the father of the victim, an owner of a canteen, opposed the autopsy and requested the assistant commissioner of the area not to proceed with the legal process.

Sabzi Mandi police have registered a case on the complaint of sub-inspector Mohammad Hussain against the culprits.

He stated in his complaint that the culprits stole a car bearing registration number (LOZ-8481) from G-9/1. He along with a sub-inspector and other personnel started chasing them but the culprits opened fire on the police officials, resulting in injuries to the boy.