RAWALPINDI: A suspect described as a highly dangerous criminal was killed during what police termed an encounter with the Punjab Police’s Crime Control Department (CCD), officials confirmed on Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Bilal Abbas, was wanted in numerous serious cases, including kidnapping for ransom, murder, narcotics trafficking, and other grave offences, according to CCD officials.
Police alleged that Abbas had been involved in abducting civilians, subjecting them to severe physical abuse, and filming torture videos that were later shared online. Authorities further claimed that he forcibly occupied properties and extorted money from victims.
Officials stated that the suspect was shot dead during a CCD-led operation carried out in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, concerns over such encounters have reached the courts. On December 11, 2025, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other respondents to submit replies in a petition challenging alleged extrajudicial killings by the CCD in Punjab.
The petition, filed by Advocate Mian Dawood along with other lawyers, was heard by a division bench, which scheduled the next hearing for the third week of January.
