BAHAWALNAGAR: Police claim to have killed three proclaimed offenders (POs) in two ‘shootouts’ on Friday.

According to police, two of the POs were eliminated in a shootout in Kachiwala.

The Kachiwala police set up pickets at exit and entry points of the area in a bid to arrest dacoits following complaints of rising crime. Four suspects opened fire on a police party in Chak 189 when it signalled them to stop at a picket. The police returned the fire in which two POs identified as Peeran Ditta and Nadeem of Pakpattan were killed while two of their accomplices managed to escape.

The police recovered a motorbike, mobile phones and arms from the scene.

Police claimed Peeran Ditta and Nadeem were wanted in 25 cases of murder, robbery and other heinous crimes.

In Chishtian, a PO was killed in a shootout with police.

A team of the Chishtian Saddar police drove Azam for recovery of a state-owned vehicle. Near Chak 33, his accomplices opened fire on the police and got Azam released. “Police chased the accused. A shootout occurred in the Haroonabad police precincts in which Azam was killed. His body was shifted to DHQ Hospital for autopsy,” a police spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2017