Ringleader Najmal-ul-Hassan, alias Pheni, killed in encounter
Shinwari
PESHAWAR
The Capital City Police on Monday claimed to have successfully eliminated notorious members of the Pheni gang, allegedly involved in extortion, illegal land grabbing, and attacks on law-enforcement personnel, during a major operation in the Daudzai area of Peshawar.
According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Dr Mian Saeed, five members of the gang, including the gang leader Najmal-ul-Hassan, alias Pheni has been killed in police operation.
He said the operation was carried out by the Special Operations Team in Daudzai area, foiled a potentially serious threat to law and order.
According to officials, the police had received intelligence that an organized gang was planning attacks against law enforcement personnel.
Acting on the information, police confronted the gang in a targeted encounter, resulting in the deaths of Najmal-ul-Hassan, Hameed, Bilal, Haji Malang, and Kamranullah.
The gang was operating under the patronage of notorious Peshawar-based criminals Lal Sher and Jan Sher, was involved in at least 30 target killings across various districts of the province, said police.
Its victims included police personnel, political figures, and members of vulnerable communities. Among its high-profile attacks were attempts on former Nazim Momin Khan and his brother, as well as an assault on a transgender man near Iqbal Plaza, who sustained injuries.
The gang leader, Najmal-ul-Hassan, had recently confessed in a video statement to the killing of a police constable, highlighting the group’s organized and audacious criminal activities.
“This gang posed a serious challenge to the writ of the state and the safety of citizens. The timely action of our officers has averted a major threat to law and order,” said CCPO Peshawar.
The police termed the operation as a major success and confirmed that the gang has been completely neutralized.
The CCPO reiterated that law enforcement agencies will continue to take decisive action against organized criminal networks targeting political and social figures, as well as security personnel, to ensure public safety.
