Wanted criminal Bilal Abbas killed in encounter with CCD Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A wanted criminal involved in kidnapping and torturing citizens was killed in an alleged encounter with the Punjab Police’s Crime Control Department (CCD), police said on Saturday.

Bilal Abbas was highly wanted in multiple criminal cases, including kidnapping, murder, drug trafficking, and other serious offences, CCD said.

According to police, Bilal Abbas was also involved in abducting citizens, subjecting them to brutal torture, and recording videos that were later circulated on social media. He also allegedly kidnapped people for ransom and forcibly seized their properties.

Police said the accused was killed during a CCD operation conducted in Rawalpindi.

Earlier, on December 11, 2025, the Lahore High Court (LHC) sought replies from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other respondents while hearing a petition against killings in alleged CCD encounters in Punjab.

A division bench summoned responses from the parties on a petition filed by Advocate Mian Dawood and other lawyers, with the next hearing scheduled for the third week of January.

The petitioners stated that citizens have been killed in alleged police encounters across Punjab since January 2025, claiming that around 1,100 people have lost their lives during this period.

“The superior judiciary has declared alleged encounters a violation of the Constitution and the law in various judgments,” the petition stated, adding that the recent killing of Advocate Zeeshan Shabbir Dhaddi in Vehari was an example of an alleged police encounter.

The petitioners further argued that the FIA is legally bound to conduct an inquiry into custodial killings within 30 days. However, despite the law being in force, the FIA has failed to conduct inquiries into such incidents, the petition alleged.