SHEIKHUPURA:
Two men suspected of involvement in the killings of three police personnel in Lahore were killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Muridke, while police said a family held hostage at a house was safely rescued.
As per a case registered at Sadar Muridke police station, police received information that three armed suspects, identified as Fayyaz Butt, his son Rehan Butt and their accomplice, were allegedly holding a family hostage at the residence of Abdul Hafeez in Ravi Rayan, Muridke.
A police team from Badami Bagh and Sadar Muridke surrounded the house and repeatedly called on the suspects to surrender.
Police said the suspects instead opened fire and threatened to harm the hostages. The police claimed they responded with aerial firing to deter the suspects while keeping the safety of the hostages in consideration.
After the exchange of fire stopped, officers entered the house and found Fayyaz and Rehan dead. Police said pistols, a Kalashnikov, ammunition and two hand grenades were recovered from near the bodies.
The rescued family reportedly told investigators that three armed men had entered the house by scaling a wall and taken them hostage.
The third suspect allegedly escaped under the cover of darkness. The two men had been accused of involvement in recent attacks on police personnel in Lahore.
Police sources said two officers were killed in firing at Karam Chowk, followed by another attack in Nawan Kot in which four policemen and two passers-by were injured.
Police also linked Rehan Butt to a previous case registered on the complaint of a police officer. His alleged involvement and that of his associates in the attacks is still subject to investigation.
The case has also raised questions about the circumstances leading to the violent confrontation and the wider response to attacks on police personnel.
Senior lawyer and Punjab Bar Council member Umar Hayat Bhatti, while expressing grief over the deaths of the police personnel, said attacks on law-enforcement officers were deeply concerning.
However, he cautioned that reliance on encounters rather than judicial proceedings could deepen mistrust and encourage cycles of retaliation.
“The government should strengthen police investigation, prosecution and trial mechanisms so that suspects could be convicted on the basis of credible evidence rather than being killed in encounters”, he remarked.
“Article 10 guarantees every citizen the right to a fair trial,” Bhatti said, stressing the need for better-trained investigators, proper evidence collection and comprehensive case preparation.
He said effective prosecution and impartial trials would strengthen public confidence in law-enforcement institutions and help prevent a cycle in which victims or their families seek revenge against police.
Police have also been investigating the alleged background and networks of the suspects.
Authorities are examining claims that the men were linked to sectarian violence and had received training abroad, though these allegations have not been independently established.
Meanwhile, police reportedly detained Rehan Butt’s sister, Mahnoor Shehzadi, for questioning as part of the investigation.
The circumstances of the alleged encounter, the identity and role of the third suspect and the suspects’ wider network remain under investigation.
