924 Deaths in 8 Months: HRCP Questions Punjab CCD’s Encounter Policy

A new fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised serious concerns over the operations of Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD), alleging what it describes as a “systemic pattern” of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings.

The report calls for an immediate high-level judicial inquiry and a province-wide moratorium on encounter-based operations until independent oversight mechanisms are put in place.

The Numbers Behind the Concern

According to the HRCP’s findings, based largely on press reports and official police statements,  at least 670 CCD-led encounters were carried out across Punjab between April and December 2025.These operations reportedly resulted in 924 suspected deaths, while two police officials were killed during the same period.

The commission describes the disparity as alarming, noting that the average exceeded two fatal encounters per day. It argues that the consistency of patterns across districts suggests what it calls an “institutionalised practice,” rather than isolated instances of misconduct.

For comparison, HRCP’s annual report for 2024 recorded 341 suspects killed in encounters across Punjab and Sindh combined over the entire year. The CCD alone, operating within Punjab, more than doubled that number in under eight months.

A Family’s Account

The HRCP report documents several case studies, including the account of a Bahawalpur-based family whose five members were killed in separate police encounters within 24 hours. Relatives told the commission that officers allegedly raided their home, detained the men, and the following day, the suspects were reported killed in separate encounters across different districts.Police have maintained that those killed were involved in criminal activity and were shot during armed exchanges.

The HRCP states that in at least one case, family members alleged they were pressured to bury the deceased immediately and warned against pursuing legal action ,  a claim the commission describes as potential criminal intimidation and obstruction of justice.

A “Parallel Force”?

The Crime Control Department was formally approved by the Punjab government in 2025 to combat organised crime under the province’s “Safe Punjab” initiative.The force was established during the tenure of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and described by authorities as a specialised unit targeting hardened criminals and inter-district gangs.

In submissions to the Lahore High Court, Punjab police have claimed that the CCD’s formation led to a significant decline in serious crimes, including dacoity and property-related offences. Police reports cited by the HRCP state that property crimes dropped by more than 60 percent during a seven-month comparison with 2024.

Police officials have rejected allegations of fake encounters and extrajudicial killings, maintaining that operations follow an “intelligence-driven policing model” and that lethal force is used in self-defence.However, the HRCP report describes the CCD as functioning like a “parallel police force,” raising questions about accountability and procedural safeguards.

A Familiar Script?

One of the report’s key observations concerns the wording of First Information Reports (FIRs) and press releases following encounters.

According to the commission, many accounts follow a nearly identical narrative pattern:

• Suspects allegedly moving “suspiciously,” often on motorcycles

• Police interception at night or at a checkpoint

• Suspects firing first

• Police responding in self-defence

• Accomplices escaping “under cover of darkness”

The HRCP notes that some reports even include similar descriptions of injured suspects regaining consciousness long enough to disclose full personal details before dying language the commission says appears “strikingly similar” across districts and dates.

Legal Safeguards and Oversight

The HRCP argues that encounter-related deaths must comply with domestic law, including the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022, which mandates investigation of custodial deaths by the Federal Investigation Agency under supervision of the National Commission for Human Rights.

The commission states it found no consistent evidence that such procedures were followed in the cases reviewed. In at least one instance, it said, a court had to direct authorities to initiate an investigation.Additionally, the report claims that mandatory magisterial inquiries under Sections 174–176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were not conducted in several cases examined.

The HRCP also said that written requests for meetings with Punjab government officials and CCD representatives went unanswered during the inquiry process.

The Larger Debate

At the heart of the controversy is a broader question: Can improved crime statistics justify aggressive policing methods if due process safeguards are unclear? The HRCP argues that sustainable public safety cannot be achieved through what it calls “lethal shortcuts” that bypass investigation, prosecution and judicial oversight.Police authorities, meanwhile, insist that the CCD’s operations have helped dismantle organised crime networks and reduced serious offences across the province.

What the HRCP Recommends

Among its key recommendations, the commission has called for:

• An immediate judicial inquiry into encounter-related deaths

• A province-wide moratorium on encounter operations

• Mandatory investigation of all such deaths by the FIA under NCHR supervision

• Formation of an independent civilian police oversight commission

• Compensation mechanisms for affected families