BAHAWALPUR: Musafirkhana police in Bahawalpur district claimed to have killed three alleged rapists and killers of a minor boy while a constable suffered injuries during an ‘encounter’ near Mohani village, about 30 kilometres from here, on Thursday.

According to police PRO Rao Kashif, acting on a tip-off, a team conducted a raid on the suspects’ hideout during the night. Upon spotting the police team, the three suspects, along with their four accomplices, allegedly opened fire on the police party.

The police retaliated, leading to an exchange of gunfire. After the firing stopped, three suspects were found injured near sand dunes, reportedly hit by the firing of their own accomplices. They later succumbed to their injuries.

Police called Rescue 1122 who examined the injured and pronounced them dead. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Arsalan, Attiquur Rehman and Muhammad Fayyaz, while their four accomplices managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

During the exchange of fire, police constable Parvaiz Iqbal was also hit in the chest by a bullet. However, he survived due to wearing a bulletproof jacket. Police recovered a repeater and a 30-bore pistol from the possession of the deceased suspects. Their bodies were shifted to Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) for postmortem examination.

Musafirkhana police registered a first information report under sections 324, 302, 186, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Arms Act 2015 against the four fleeing accomplices and launched raids for their arrest.

Police said 12-year-old boy ‘J’ went missing on March 7 when he had gone to buy candies from a shop in his village. His father had got a case registered against Arsalan for allegedly abducting the child. However, the police initially failed to trace the suspect.

Later, the body of the boy was recovered from bushes near a graveyard in Mohani village. Police said the child had been gang-raped and murdered. On the orders of DPO Rana Abdul Wahab, police traced Arsalan and his accomplices and identified them as suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, in another encounter within the limits of Qureshiwala police station in Lodhran district, an under-custody dacoit, Saleem, was injured.

According to police, Saleem was being escorted by a police team for the recovery of stolen valuables when three of his accomplices riding a motorcycle attacked the police party and opened fire in an attempt to free him from custody.

Police returned fire, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. During the incident, Saleem sustained injuries from the firing of his accomplices, who later fled the scene.

Rescue 1122 provided first aid before shifting Saleem to the DHQ Hospital in Lodhran. Police have registered a case against his accomplices, but no arrests have been made so far.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026