Police Raid Turns Deadly in Vehari
Vehari police allegedly opened fire inside the residence of district bar lawyer Zeeshan Shani Advocate and his associate, resulting in their immediate deaths during what authorities claim was a drug-related operation. The incident has triggered widespread outrage across legal communities and civil society.
Family and Lawyers Allege Cold-Blooded Murder
Immediately following the shooting, the victim's family and fellow lawyers launched vigorous protests, blocking major roads and chanting slogans against police brutality. The victim's mother, along with other female family members, staged an emotional demonstration at the main Chowk, tearfully claiming that police accepted substantial bribes from their rivals to execute her innocent son.
According to family accounts, police personnel forcibly entered their home early morning, vandalized household property, and then brutally shot the young lawyer. Both family members and legal professionals further accused police of illegally detaining heirs for several hours and refusing to release the body to either the family or legal representatives.
Legal Community Demands Transparency
The legal fraternity has insisted that the post-mortem examination be conducted strictly under their supervision to ensure procedural transparency. Lawyers' organizations throughout the district organized strong demonstrations, specifically naming DSP Rizwan Khan and SHO Rai Sajid as leading the operation that resulted in the lawyer's deliberate killing within his own home.
Road blockades and sit-ins caused complete traffic paralysis throughout the city. The situation intensified when lawyers from the Multan High Court Bar joined the protests. The crisis reached provincial levels when the Punjab Bar Council announced an indefinite province-wide strike, declaring that no police personnel would be permitted to enter any court premises across Punjab.
Conflicting Narratives Emerge
Meanwhile, police authorities issued an official press statement claiming that during a raid targeting drug dealers, Zeeshan alias Shani initiated gunfire first, prompting retaliatory action that led to his and his associate's deaths. The family and legal community have completely rejected this police version, labeling it as a fabricated and false narrative designed to cover up extrajudicial killing.
Police and district administration officials are currently reviewing the volatile situation and deliberating on further investigative steps as tensions continue to escalate throughout Vehari city.
