Peshawar police neutralize wanted criminal

A man wanted in 25 criminal cases was killed during a police encounter in Peshawar's Pishtakhara area, according to police.

A man wanted in 25 criminal cases was killed during a police encounter in Peshawar’s Pishtakhara area, according to police. The deceased, identified as Azmat, also known as Azmatay, was allegedly wanted in multiple serious cases across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Police said the suspect was wanted by authorities in Peshawar, Nowshera, and Bannu in connection with a range of offences, including murder, attempted murder, attacks on police personnel, armed robbery, dacoity, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes.

According to the official account, a police team attempted to intercept the suspect and his associates during an operation. Officers alleged that the suspects opened fire on the police with the intent to kill after spotting the law enforcement personnel. Police returned fire, and during the exchange of gunfire, Azmat was fatally wounded.

Authorities stated that a weapon was recovered from the suspect’s possession following the encounter. Police have launched further efforts to trace and arrest the other individuals who were reportedly with him and managed to escape from the scene.

Officials described the deceased as a highly wanted suspect who had been involved in numerous criminal cases and had remained on the radar of multiple district police departments. They said operations are continuing to apprehend the remaining suspects and investigate any additional links to criminal activity.

Police encounters are a recurring feature of law enforcement operations in Pakistan. In such cases, the official version of events is based on statements issued by the police, while the circumstances surrounding the incident may be subject to further legal or judicial review if required.

Authorities have not released additional details regarding the identities of the escaped suspects or whether any police personnel were injured during the operation. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and police say further information will be shared as the inquiry progresses.