The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned reply from the FIA and other parties while hearing a petition against killings in alleged police encounters in Punjab. The high court bench summoned reply from parties on the petition filed by Mian Dawood Advocate and other lawyers in the third week of January. Petitioners pleaded that the 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.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)