GUJRAT: Police claim to have killed a criminal wanted in the assassination of a constable besides the killing of many others in a shootout near Sara-i-Alamgir on Friday.

Police claimed the criminal had also links with a banned outfit and allegedly performed as a hired assassin in different cases of sectarian killings as one of his co-accused in the killing of a policeman was said to be an active member of a banned outfit.

District Police Officer Rai Ijaz Ahmed told newsmen that the police signalled three motorcyclists at a picket near Bhalwal Gharbi village to stop but they fled. When the police chased them, they abandoned the bike and took shelter in a field. They opened fire on the police party which was retaliated. In the crossfire, one of the motorcyclists, later identified as Ismael of Lakki Marwat, Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was killed while the other two managed to escape.

The DPO claimed Ismael had shot dead constable Mudassar Iqbal in Pabbi area of Kharian Saddar police in May 2012 and was wanted in the murder case of four people in Harbanspura, Lahore, and one person in Hasilpur tehsil of Bahawalpur district some four years ago.

He claimed the deceased outlaw was also involved in snatching motorcycles in Kharian and Sara-i-Alamgir whereas details of more cases registered against him were being traced in different parts of the province.

When asked whether Ismael had any link with a banned outfit, the DPO said the police were investigating the matter but the fact could be ascertained only after the arrest of his accomplices.

Published in Dawn, September 20th , 2014