High cost of 'Safe Punjab'

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The much-touted Punjab Crime Control Department's (CCD) first year of operations has seen some successes, but also a worryingly large amount of blood spilled. While Pakistani law enforcement strategies have always been notorious for their use of force, a recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on the CCD reveals that the new unit might be even more violent than other specialised squads.

Between April and December 2025, the CCD was involved in at least 670 encounters that left 924 suspects dead. In that same period, only two police personnel lost their lives. While a disproportionate ratio may suggest the police force is highly trained and professional, the astounding difference here implies something else is at play. The government has no valid counterpoint to the HRCP's call for an independent judicial inquiry.

The patterns documented by HRCP are alarming. Encounters occurred at an average of more than two per day, with a heavy concentration in districts like Lahore and Faisalabad. The official narratives accompanying these killings are almost textbook — suspects opened fire, police opened "retaliatory" fire, suspects were fatally injured, but had just enough life left to make dying declarations. Also, civilian witnesses were nowhere to be found, even though some of the incidents occurred in busy areas. It is also worth noting that the CCD reportedly ignored requests for data and meetings with the HRCP to explain these suspicious details.

Policing in Pakistan cannot improve if such contempt for human life goes unpunished. Encounters are flat-out illegal under Pakistani and international law, yet despite decades of embarrassing revelations, federal and provincial governments continue to do little more than pay lip service to the issue. Unfortunately, 'Safe Punjab' cannot be built on the bones of victims of extrajudicial murder. If we are to become a great nation, we must first become a nation of laws, where even the worst among us are guaranteed their rights.