LHC issues notices in alleged police encounters case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued notices to parties over a miscellaneous plea of making the FIA a party while hearing a petition against killings in alleged police encounters in Punjab.

A single bench of Justice Shahram Sarwar adjourned further hearing of the case until April 04.

Azhar Siddique advocated had filed a petition in court against killing in alleged police encounters in Punjab.

Punjab Police in its reply to the court had rejected allegations of fake encounters involving the Crime Control Department (CCD), stating that crime rates across the province have dropped by up to 60% since the department’s establishment.

A detailed report was submitted to the Lahore High Court in response to the petition challenging alleged CCD encounters.

Petitioners pleaded that citizens being killed in alleged police encounters in Punjab since January 2025 and around 1100 people have been killed till now.

“The supreme judiciary has declared alleged encounters a violation of the constitution and the law in its various decisions,” according to the petition. ” Advocate Zeeshan Shabbir Dhaddi’s recent murder in Vehari has been an example of alleged police encounter,” petition read.

Petitioner argued that the FIA has been bound to conduct inquiry of the custodial killing within 30 days. “Despite the law in enforcement, the FIA didn’t conduct inquiry of any killing,” according to petition.

Petitioners seek the court’s immediate order to halt police encounters in Punjab and direct the FIA to conduct inquiry of all killings in police encounters since January 2025.

Petitioners also seek the Lahore High Court’s order for strict implementation of the ‘Anti-Custodial Killings Act 2022′.