HRCP Report Details 900 Deaths in Punjab Police Encounters

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has released a startling report documenting a significant rise in police encounters across Punjab. Between April and December 2025, the commission recorded at least 670 encounters that resulted in 924 suspected deaths. This surge coincides with the formation of a specialized unit intended to combat organized crime, sparking intense debate over the state’s duty to protect the right to life and uphold the rule of law within the country’s most populous province.

Establishment of the Crime Control Department

The Crime Control Department (CCD) was formally constituted in April last year under the administration of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. As per reports from Al Jazeera, the unit was mandated to dismantle inter-district gangs and hardened offenders as part of the provincial government’s “Safe Punjab” vision. However, the HRCP describes the CCD as a parallel police force operating with virtual impunity. Within eight months of its inception, the department’s operations led to more than double the encounter fatalities recorded in both Punjab and Sindh during the entire previous year.

Repetitive Patterns and Systematic Killings

The HRCP findings highlight “strikingly similar” patterns in First Information Reports (FIRs) filed after these encounters. Many reports describe suspects on motorcycles opening fire at roadblocks, only to be killed while their accomplices escape in the dark. The commission noted what it called “copy-paste” phrasing in police documentation, including instances where wounded suspects allegedly volunteered detailed criminal histories just moments before dying. The largest category of those killed included individuals accused of dacoity and narcotics-related crimes, with the highest concentration of deaths occurring in Lahore and Faisalabad.

Calls for Accountability and Judicial Reform

Despite the police department’s claims that these operations have reduced property crime by over 60 percent, legal experts and rights activists remain skeptical. Lawyers argue that the government is institutionalizing state-sanctioned criminality under the guise of crime control. The HRCP maintains that guilt must be determined through due process and a fair trial rather than summary executions. Without urgent judicial reform and forensic investigation improvements, observers warn that the normalization of such violence could eventually target dissidents and innocent bystanders labeled as criminals.