OKARA, May 12: A dacoit carrying Rs0.5 million head-money was shot dead on Thursday in an encounter with police on Renala-Chuchuk Road near Chak 9/1-R. Iftikhar alias Khawar of Bongi Bhattian along with his accomplices was looting occupants of cars and trucks. On a tip-off, a police party rushed to the spot and encircled the area. Seeing police, the outlaws opened fire on them which was returned. As a result, one of the dacoits, Iftikhar alias Khawar, died instantly while his accomplices Mazhar alias Mazhar and three others beat a retreat.

DPO Syed Zafar Abbas Bokhari said the deceased dacoit was a member of the Kharoo dacoits gang and was wanted in dozens of cases of dacoity, kidnap for ransom and highway robbery.

CASES: A-Division police on Thursday registered cases against 11 MMA leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, for delivering speeches against the government at Venus Cinema Chowk on Wednesday.

Those booked included MMA secretary-general and MNA Liaquat Baloch, senator Prof Sajid Mir, MNA Maulana Gul Rahman, MNA Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, Maulana Abdul Jalil Naqvi, Ihsanul Haq, MMA district president Dr Liaquat Ali Kausar, Syed Ghazanfer Naqvi and Shaikh Azhar Mehmood.