KASUR: Two alleged robbers were gunned down during an encounter with the police near Haveli Wazirwali in the limits of the Mustafabad police station on Tuesday.

The police made some incredible claims that the four criminals had got both the killed robbers released from custody. Later, the same four attackers, during the encounter, killed their own fellows.

According to the story, Mustafabad police, headed by ASI Ghulam Abbas, was on its way in an official van along with two alleged robbers, namely Dilshad of Nankana Sahib and Waqas Meo of Pattoki, for the recovery of booty and illegal weapons. When they reached near Haveli Wazirwali, four suspects on three motorcycles besieged the police van and opened indiscriminate fire on it.

Surprisingly, nobody was hurt in the ‘indiscriminate fire’. The suspects, later identified as Muddasar Ishaq Meo, Rizwan Ishaq Meo, Adnan Naseem Meo and Tanvir, held the police officials at gunpoint and secured the release of Dilshad and Waqas. While leaving the place, they took away the official rifle of Constable Muhammad Amin only.

The police team called 15 and demanded more force.

In another interesting turn, the police, with the help of more personnel, again located the fleeing criminals who hid in the fields near village Dafto. They continued firing at police from the fields while the police retaliated.

After an exchange of fire for about half an hour, the police found Dilshad and Waqas injured in the fields. They were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

The police claimed that the killed robbers were shot dead by their own accomplices who had fled after the exchange of fire.

The police also claimed that the killed robbers were wanted by Lahore, Kasur and Nankana Sahib police in over 30 cases.

Mustafabad police entered a murder case against four escaped accomplices of Dilshad and Waqas.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2017