GUJRAT, Nov 13: A joint police team from Gujjar Khan and Gujrat on Monday morning conducted raids at two outhouses of former adviser to CM Naeem Raza and shot dead a proclaimed offender, besides arresting 12 POs, including murderer of ex-MNA Syed Manzoor Shah, in two encounters at Kotla Arab Ali Khan and Kalianwala.

Police sources claimed that the raid was conducted in connection with the murder of Waqar Shah alias Qari Shah, the son of former district naib nazim Syed Noor Shah.

Information gathered by Dawn revealed that a joint team, led by Gujjar Khan SHO and SP (investigation) Mahmoodul Hasan Qureshi, had conducted a raid at the outhouse of Naeem Raza in Kotla Arab Ali Khan where a shootout took place between the law enforcers and criminals. The police arrested five POs, besides seizing weapons after a brief encounter. They have been identified as Arshad of Dilawarpur (one kalashnikov), Nadeem of Sadwal (one kalashnikov), Shakeel of Kotla (pump action), Ibrar of Chak No 430, Faisalabad (one 222 rifle) and Madassar Subhani of Kotla (one 30-bore pistol).

Later, the police conducted another raid at the outhouse of Naeem Raza near Kalianwala where criminals opened fire on them. A crossfire that continued for half an hour left a proclaimed offender dead while seven POs were arrested along with weapons. The dead PO was later identified as Sajid Manzoor of Muslimabad who was known as hired assassin. The police recovered a G-3 rifle from him. Other arrested POs were identified as Sagheer of Dhola (one kalashnikov), Ashraf of Hanjra (one kalashnikov), Anar of Dhok Kasab (one kalashnikov), Asif of Faisalabad (one 30-bore pistol), Pervaiz of Bahowal (pump action), Boota of Purana Kotla (pump action) and Iqbal of Gujrat (one 30-bore pistol).

The police sources said that one of the arrested POs, Sagheer Dhola, had allegedly killed former MNA Syed Manzoor Husain Shah on Jan 2, 2005 near Mekan village. Sagheer is a close relative of Yasir Dhola and Muzamal Dhola, the other two at large murderers of the slain MNA.

It is pertinent to note here that Waqar Shah, a nephew of the slain MNA, was murdered near Gujjar Khan and a case was registered with area police station on Oct 31. Gujjar Khan police had arrested Ibrar Shah, Shahab and Shafiq Machi and interrogated them. The sources said that Gujjar Khan and Gujrat police had conducted a raid at Kotla Arab Ali Khan for the arrest of constable Waqar Shah of Keeranwala, the nominated principal accused of the murder FIR of Waqar Shah of Qulewal Syedan. However no case related to two encounters was registered with Kakrali police till the filing of this report.