CHAKWAL: A proclaimed offender involved in various cases and a police informer were killed while two policemen sustained serious bullet injuries in an encounter with police on Tuesday night in the hilly terrain of Salt Range.

According to police sources, an informer Qaisar Mehmood, 29, tipped the police off that proclaimed offender Umar Ayaz a resident of Wanda Dagri along with five other proclaimed offenders were set to leave for Chakwal from the hilly area of Chhab village in Khushab.

After getting the information, police barricaded the Chakwal-Khushab Road near Munara village. As the proclaimed offenders appeared, they opened fire on police, injuring a police constable Arshad Mehmood critically. The constable was rushed to the Trauma Centre Kallar Kahar while the police party led by SHO Ajmal Farooq chased the criminals. Later a shootout between the criminals and police team occurred in the hilly terrain of Salt Range near Bhal village. Resultantly, proclaimed offender Umar Ayaz and police informer Qaisar Mehmood were killed while an assistant sub-inspector Shafqat Nawaz received critical bullet injuries.

The injured official and the two bodies were shifted to the Trauma Centre Kallar Kahar by a team of Rescue 1122 Chakwal. Later ASI Shafqat Nawaz and constable Arshad Mehmood were referred to Islamabad due to their critical condition.

According to a police official both the injured policemen were admitted to Shifa International Hospital where they both would be operated upon Thursday (today) .

The body of police informer Qaisar Mehmood was taken to his native village Talokar in Khushab after autopsy where he was buried with police honour as a police team paid guard of honour. The funeral was attended by a large number of police men including senior officials.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2025