ISLAMABAD – A routine evening ride in Rawalpindi turned into a nightmare as a Bykea rider dropped off a passenger and was about to leave the area. In those same moments, a police operation by Dolphin Force escalated into sudden gunfire.
Dolphin Force conducted operation near Farooq-i-Azam Road in garrison city, where everything appeared normal just moments before the chaos. Bykea rider reportedly picked up passenger from Kuri Road and dropped him at Farooq-i-Azam Road. But as soon as the ride ended, police suddenly arrived at the scene.
The passenger he had just dropped off allegedly opened fire at the police, striking police van and triggering an immediate response. In the chaos that followed, Dolphin Force personnel reportedly believed the Bykea rider was involved with the armed suspect.
Several bullets were fired in rider’s direction, hitting him in the leg and thigh. Injured and shocked, he repeatedly tried to tell officers he had no connection to the gunman and was only working as a Bykea rider. “I was not carrying any weapon. I’m just a Bykea rider,” he said in his statement, adding that the firing took place from a very close distance of around four meters.
Despite his attempts to explain, he was caught in the crossfire and collapsed on the road. Police reinforcements later reached the spot and rushed the injured rider to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), where he is undergoing treatment.
The incident triggered official action. Rawalpindi’s CPO ordered a formal inquiry, directing a senior officer to investigate the firing. The four Dolphin Force personnel involved have been suspended and face departmental proceedings.
The key suspect, identified as Arslan, was already wanted in a kidnapping attempt case. According to the FIR, he allegedly tried to abduct a girl, opened fire when police moved in, and fled along with an accomplice.
The case sparked serious concern at highest levels. A provincial minister and senior officials have taken notice, visiting the injured rider in hospital and ordering full medical care, as questions mount over how a routine ride turned into a life-threatening tragedy in seconds.
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