Three gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire in broad daylight in Wadala Cheema village, Wazirabad, killing 25-year-old Usman Akram Cheema outside his family haveli. According to the FIR and initial police records, the attackers, described as men aged between 25 and 35, fired more than two dozen bullets and fled immediately as residents rushed toward the scene.
Police are treating the incident as a contract killing and say the attack is linked to a fugitive suspect believed to be operating from Thailand. The FIR names Ahmed Murtaza as the alleged mastermind; investigators note he faced several FIRs and had his bail rejected in an earlier case involving attacks on the same family. Inquiry officer Head Constable Muhammad Farooq told investigators that the suspect ‘sent shooters from abroad’ to carry out the assassination and that previous attacks connected to him were already registered at the local police station.
Usman’s mother, Nusrat Bibi, who lodged the murder case, said her family had been repeatedly threatened for pursuing earlier complaints. She reported receiving direct death threats demanding the withdrawal of her complaint and alleged that two people posing as police officials coerced her into transferring Rs 35,000 during the investigation, claiming the money was needed for case proceedings.
As a widow, Nusrat Bibi has appealed directly to Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz and the Inspector General of Punjab Police to take immediate action, arrest those responsible and provide protection to her family. She said she fears for her life and warned that ‘the killers will not stop’ unless the state intervenes. Family members insist Usman had no criminal background and was targeted because he pursued justice and testified in earlier cases.
Local residents say the accused mastermind has a history of intimidation and alleged involvement in earlier fatal incidents, leaving the community deeply unsettled by the brazenness of the attack and the belief that it was executed under pre-planned instructions from overseas. Police have registered the FIR and say the inquiry into the Wazirabad contract killing is ongoing as investigators seek to trace links to the alleged fugitive in Thailand and identify the gunmen who carried out the assassination.
