A Pakistani businessman suspected of murdering a local business owner's son was killed in an alleged police encounter in Punjab's Rahim Yar Khan early Thursday, days after the court raised concerns over his detention and released him on bail.
Police said Qaiser was injured during an exchange of fire while "attempting to flee the country" and later died from his wounds.
Nauman Qaiser was accused of killing his brother-in-law, the son of Sohrab Cycles owner, Alhaj Muhammad Amjad Qazi in 2023. Officials alleged Qaiser had hired contract killers to have Qazi murdered over a family dispute while he was living in Spain. Two of the alleged shooters were later arrested by the Punjab Police and sentenced to life imprisonment.
During the investigation, the accused's name was placed on an Interpol Red Notice, requiring him and some relatives in Spain to regularly report to police authorities there.
Facing legal pressure abroad, he eventually returned to Pakistan. He recorded a video announcing his return to Pakistan and surrendering to the police.
Qaiser’s detention, however, drew judicial scrutiny. In February, the Lahore High Court heard a petition challenging the inclusion of his name in a police encounter case.
Justice Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh summoned the DIG Legal Punjab and expressed serious concern over Crime Control Department (CCD) officials, noting that Qaiser’s name had been added to a Nov. 30, 2025, police encounter case, despite him being in jail from Apr. 24, 2025, to Jan. 2026.
Justice Sheikh described the error as potentially life-destroying and directed authorities to identify the officers responsible. Lawyers representing the petitioner also alleged that Qaiser’s name had been inserted into another murder case registered at Kahna police station, despite claims that he was in Spain at the time. They warned that authorities may have intended to eliminate Qaiser in a staged encounter.
Separately, on March 11, Justice Jawad Zafar issued notices to the CCD and other respondents regarding a petition filed by Asifa Shaheen, who claimed that Qaiser was abducted by CCD officials shortly after being released from Camp Jail Lahore on bail.
The petition cited CCD reports indicating he was not wanted in any active cases, raising concerns about the possibility of a fake police encounter.
Hours before the alleged encounter, a video circulated on social media showing Qaiser’s Spanish lawyer, Raja Ramdar Iqbal, stating that the businessman, who had been living in Barcelona, returned to Lahore to cooperate with police investigations.
He said Qaiser was taken into custody immediately after being released on bail and appealed to authorities to ensure his safety and uphold due legal process.
Rising encounters
The incident comes amid wider concerns over the Punjab Crime Control Department’s operations. A recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted a “systemic pattern” of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings.
According to HRCP, at least 670 CCD-led encounters occurred across Punjab between April and December 2025, resulting in 924 suspected deaths, while two police officials were killed.
The commission described the frequency of fatal encounters - averaging more than two per day - as indicative of an institutionalized practice rather than isolated misconduct, raising questions about accountability and human rights practices in the province.
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