LAHORE; The Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned the Inspector General of Police Punjab to appear in court tomorrow in connection with a petition concerning the alleged killing of a man in a staged police encounter.
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum presided over the hearing on Tuesday. The petition was filed by Farhat Bibi, who sought protection for her son, Ansar Aslam.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Aftab Rahim, argued that police had killed Farhat Bibi’s son, Ghazanfar Aslam, in a fake encounter on April 22. He further informed the court that her second son is currently imprisoned in Sheikhupura jail. He pointed out that the contents of the FIR also reflect similar concerns regarding alleged fake encounters and urged the court to ensure justice.
Chief Justice Neelum expressed concern over the rising number of cases involving alleged killings during police custody or encounters. She remarked that such incidents were deeply alarming.
Referring to the selective targeting in such cases, the chief justice questioned, “How intelligent is the bullet that it never strikes a police vehicle and always hits the intended target?”
She also questioned the Station House Officer (SHO) of Sharaqpur about his version of events. The SHO responded that the accused’s accomplices had attacked the police, leading to the suspect’s death.
The chief justice further inquired whether any police personnel were injured or if there were any marks or damage on police vehicles resulting from the incident.
Expressing serious concern over the increasing trend of alleged custodial killings, the LHC summoned Punjab’s Inspector General of Police to appear in court in person on Wednesday to address the matter.
