A 22-year-old Christian ride-hailing motorcycle driver is fighting for his life after he was allegedly shot nine times by personnel of an anti-crime police unit in Pakistan's Punjab province, reigniting concerns over excessive use of force by law enforcement, particularly against members of minority communities.

What happened in Rawalpindi

Alyan Johnson, who had been working as a bike-taxi rider for the past six months to support his family, was critically wounded in a shooting involving Dolphin Force personnel in Rawalpindi on the night of 26 May 2025. According to his family, Johnson had just dropped off a passenger when officers, reportedly chasing a suspected armed man, arrived at the spot. The suspect allegedly fired into the air and tried to flee, after which the patrol opened fire — striking Johnson, who was unarmed.

Family demands justice

Johnson's family has lodged a complaint at Sadiqabad police station, calling for an impartial probe, strict action against those responsible, and compensation for the injuries and losses. His uncle, Joseph Michael, told EWTN, “We demand justice and imprisonment for the shooters who misused their authority.”

Michael said Johnson had identified himself before the firing continued. “Johnson raised his hands and identified himself as a rider in a loud voice, but the shooting continued. He had no weapon and no criminal record. He only wanted to help his father, who works as a sanitary worker,” he said. Johnson sustained multiple gunshot wounds and two fractures in his right leg.

Official response

Punjab Chief Minister's inspection team chairman Raja Abdul Hanif visited Johnson in hospital and assured the family of justice, according to reports. No formal disciplinary action against the officers involved has been announced so far.

A pattern of police encounters

The incident comes amid mounting scrutiny of policing practices in Punjab. In February, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the province's Crime Control Department (CCD) for what it described as a deliberate policy of staged encounters and extrajudicial killings. The HRCP documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters over eight months in 2025, leaving 924 suspects dead against just two police officers killed in the same period.

“The extreme casualty imbalance — averaging more than two fatal encounters daily — combined with the uniformity of operational patterns across districts, indicates an institutionalised practice rather than isolated incidents of misconduct,” the HRCP stated, calling for an urgent high-level judicial inquiry.

Climate of fear

The HRCP also flagged a “pervasive climate of fear” among victims' families, with one family alleging that police pressured them to bury the deceased immediately and warned that other relatives could be killed if they pursued the case. The commission noted that Pakistani courts and rights bodies have repeatedly raised alarms over violations of the right to life guaranteed under Article 9 of Pakistan's Constitution.

For now, Johnson's survival — and whether the officers face accountability — will be a fresh test of how Punjab's policing apparatus responds when its own conduct is in the dock.