MULTAN: One of the suspected terrorists gunned down in an alleged encounter with police`s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Nankana Sahib was taken into custody by police from court premises a month ago and died in custody, family sources claimed on Monday.

The sources said they kept searching for Malik Bilal Lang suspected member of a banned terrorist organisation -until they found out he was one of the suspects who, according to police, were killed in an encounter in Faizabad, Nankana Sahib late on Friday.

Lang was also suspected of kidnapping former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani` son Ali Gilani but was released on June 27 by an anti-terrorism court as neither Gilani nor the complainant, Fida Mohiuddin, appeared in court. He was a resident of Wasti Dhundi and was buried in his hometown.

Lang was in the limelight during by-election in PP-206 in 2010 when Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani, the younger son of Yousuf Gilani, was contesting against PML-N`s Naghma Mushtaq Lang.

Bilal Lang had been a supporter and polling agent of Naghma and on polling day clashed with the rival candidate and his brothers. He had been allegedly picked up by rivals over which PML-N workers protested and demanded his release. He was also said to be a member of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba.

Jalalpur Pirwala Saddar Station House Officer Munawar Gujar said some cases had been lodged against Lang for not reporting his whereabouts to police, as his name was on the Fourth Schedule list. He denied that Lang had been taken into custody.