FAISALABAD, June 26: The local police claimed that Iftikhar alias Ifti who was shot dead with his two accomplices in an 'encounter' on Friday night was a vehicle-lifter, abductor and hired killer.

A police spokesman in a statement issued here on Saturday claimed that Iftikhar was wanted in 23 cases of heinous nature like murders, dacoity, attempted murder, burglary, vehicle-snatching, kidnapping and illicit arms trade. He was a proclaimed offender and was wanted to Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh police, he added.

According to police, Iftikhar had kidnapped a yarn dealer, Kashif Amin, about a couple of months ago. He was an active member of Fatoo gang.

However, the spokesman could not disclose the names and whereabouts of two accomplices of Iftikhar who were gunned down with him in the encounter. They also failed to provide details of the weapons recovered from the possession of the dead criminals as it had claimed that an encounter took place with the police.

Police sources claimed that other dead men were Khalid and Fayyaz, residents of Green Town, Faisalabad.

The Gulberg police shot dead three car riders in Millat Town during, what it claimed, an encounter on Friday night.

However, some of the area people, on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the encounter was staged.