LAHORE, Oct 9: Four alleged criminals and a police official were killed in an ‘encounter’ at a nazim’s place near Saggian Chowk in Islampura on Thursday, police said.

A tracker company informed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Abbas Bhatti, deployed with Sadar Division anti-vehicle lifting staff, that five people had snatched a car (LEE-8418) from Jehangir. The tracker traced car’s location at Raja House at Suggian Chowk.

Police raided the place at around 9:15am and found the car parked there. Seeing police, alleged robbers opened fire which the police retaliated with gunfire. The crossfire left four criminals dead and ASI Muhammad Akram injured who later succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to Mayo Hospital.

Alleged car thieves were identified, through their identity cards and driving licenses, as Iqbal, Master Ejaz, Zulfikar Ali and Mohsin Nawaz.

The watchman of Raja House told police that Malik Muhammad Azam, Union Council-85 nazim, used to invite the deceased at his place.

Police found three Kalashnikovs, an MM rifle and a gun near the bodies of the alleged criminals.

A police handout claimed that the accused were wanted in a number of cases of kidnap for ransom, encounter and robbery.

The bodies of the alleged robbers were shifted to morgue for autopsy and a case was registered against them and Malik Azam on the complaint of Inspector Rashid Ameen Butt.

Rs2m for ASI’s family: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced Rs2 million for an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) who was killed in an encounter with offenders near Saggian Bridge on Thursday.

He announced the government would buy ASI Akram’s family a house, regularise the services of his widow and bear all expenditure on the education of his children.

He directed the Punjab police inspector general to give Akram posthumous award for his bravery.

Sharif made this announcement after offering funeral prayers for the late ASI at Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Lines. Talking to Akram’s widow and children, the chief minister assured them the government would look after them.

The chief minister also met the police team which took part in the encounter and announced a cash prize of Rs100,000 each for its members.

Later, the chief minister went to Officers Colony and met the parents of a student who was killed by his teacher in an academy. He assured the grieved family the culprit would not escape punishment. He directed the authorities to try the culprit in a special court.