GUJRAT: Three suspects and a police constable were killed and two suspects were injured in separate alleged encounters in Gujrat, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh and Dipalpur.

In one incident near the Bhooch village in the Karianwala police precincts on Wednesday evening, a police constable and an alleged robber were killed during an encounter.

Police claimed that during routine patrolling along the Doiyan Road, a police team spotted armed robbers looting passerby. Police claimed that on spotting the police party, the armed robbers started firing and constable Umar Aftab was shot and killed on the spot.

Police said the police party also retaliated and the robbers fled towards the forest area. During the chase, police claimed to have found the dead body of a robber in the forest.

The deceased suspect was identified as Adil Zulfiqar of Malik Pur Kalan. A heavy contingent of police and a team of Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) also reached the spot. The dead bodies had been shifted to the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital for autopsy and investigation into the incident was underway.

TOBA TEK SINGH: In Faisalabad, police said a CCD joint team led by Madina Town Circle Officer Syed Iram Raza, Lyallpur Town Circle Officer Siddiq Cheema, Iqbal Town Circle Officer Ali Ikram and Headquarter Circle Officer Umar Sarfraz had set up a picket on the Dhanola-Samana Road late on Tuesday night.

Police claimed that four suspects in a car opened fire on the policemen upon seeing the picket, which was also returned by the police party.

Police claimed that one suspect was found dead in the car after getting hit by bullets fired by his accomplices. He was identified as Zohaib alias Zaibi and police claimed that he was involved in dozens of ice smuggling cases registered in south Punjab.

Police said his three accomplices managed to escape while a huge quantity of ice and illicit arms were recovered from their car.

Meanwhile, an alleged drug dealer was arrested in injured condition after being shot by his own accomplice in Toba on the same night.

Police spokesperson said that Toba City SHO Hakim Ali along with his team were present at a picket on the Sem Nullah Bridge on Toba-Khekha Road. He claimed that policemen tried to stop two suspicious motorcycle riders, however, they opened fire on the police party and fled.

He claimed that when the firing stopped, one suspect was found injured after being shot by his accomplice. He said that about two kg of hashish and ice and a pistol were recovered from his possession.

The accused was identified as Tariq, a resident of 331 Athwal, who was a drug dealer already wanted by the police in different cases. He has been shifted to the DHQ Hospital.

OKARA: Police claimed that a Dipalpur night patrolling team was positioned on the Dipalpur-Okara road when they received a call that a passerby named Rajba Ali was deprived of cash and CNIC by five gunmen on two bikes near the Gujjar Chowk.

Police claimed that the team chased the fleeing gunmen but the suspects allegedly started shooting the policemen near Rizvi Chowk. Police said that when the firing stopped, they found the dead body of an unidentified man, while another suspect was found injured some distance away.

Police claimed that both suspects had received bullets from their three accomplices, who managed their escape in the cover of darkness.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2026