MANDI BAHAUDDIN (April 29, 2026) — A prime suspect wanted for the kidnapping and murder of a six-year-old boy was killed on Wednesday during a police encounter in the Chak Sabu area of Pindi Bhattian. According to the Hafizabad police, the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Zafar Hashmat, was allegedly struck by gunfire from his own accomplice while engaging in a shootout with a police mobile. The encounter occurred shortly after the victim’s body was recovered from nearby fields during a targeted search operation.
Quick Facts
- The main suspect, Zafar Hashmat, was killed during a shootout with police in Hafizabad’s Pindi Bhattian tehsil.
- Police recovered the body of a missing six-year-old boy from fields; a post-mortem is currently underway.
- Official FIRs state the suspect was killed by “his own accomplice’s firing” while attempting to evade a roadblock.
- The deceased suspect was a laborer from Faisalabad who had recently moved to the area.
- One accomplice managed to escape the scene on a motorcycle under the cover of darkness.
Suspect in Hafizabad child murder case killed in police ‘encounter’ https://t.co/Yc3DzMgAVA
— Pakistan Today (@ePakistanToday) April 29, 2026
Details of the Encounter
According to the FIR registered on April 29, police intercepted two individuals on a motorcycle along a river embankment. Upon being signaled to stop, the suspects lost control of their vehicle and opened fire on the police party. Police returned fire in self-defense. During the chaos, one suspect fled the scene, while Hashmat was found dead at the spot.
The police have invoked multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), and 353 (assaulting a public servant).
Pattern of Police Encounters
This incident follows a sharp uptick in reported “encounters” across the province. On Tuesday alone, nine suspects were killed in separate confrontations with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in various parts of Punjab, including six in Lahore.
This specific case in Hafizabad mirrors a previous incident from last year in the same district, where a suspect in a high-profile gang rape case was also reportedly killed by the “firing of his own accomplices” during a police confrontation. A special team has been formed to track down the escaped accomplice and investigate any further links to local criminal networks.
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