The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has accused the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) of institutionalizing staged police encounters that allegedly resulted in hundreds of extrajudicial executions, raising serious alarms about the collapse of constitutional protections in the region.
Using media reports and legal records, the Commission tracked at least 670 meetings conducted by the CCD between January and August 2025. These missions reportedly resulted in the deaths of 924 suspects, while only two police officers died during this period.
The striking disparity in the number of deaths, which averages more than two fatal encounters per day, together with identical tactical descriptions in different districts, suggests what the Commission characterizes as a conscious and structured habit rather than sporadic cases of negligence.
The HRCP investigation report says these maneuvers constitute a systemic violation of local laws and Pakistan’s global human rights obligations. Under the Torture and Deaths in Custody (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2022, all deaths in custody must be investigated by the FIA, which is overseen by the National Human Rights Commission.
However, the HRCP found no transparent evidence that these mandatory protocols were implemented in the situations assessed. Judicial investigations mandated by the Criminal Code also appear to be lacking in most cases.
The Commission also expressed frustration at the silence of Punjab officials and the CCD leadership in response to the invitation for dialogue. The delegation also noted the pervasive atmosphere of intimidation among the families of the deceased.
In one particular case, relatives claimed they were forced to carry out hasty burials and warned of retaliation if they sought legal redress.
According to the HRCP, the CCD’s activities appear to be in violation of the UN’s Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which require necessity, proportionality and transparency.
She called for an immediate suspension of the encounter tactics, autonomous surveillance, a mandatory investigation by the FIA led by the NCHR and financial restitution for the bereaved families.
Last month, activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha were detained in Islamabad, allegedly on their way to a court hearing.
Imaan’s mother, former federal minister Shireen Mazari, said in a series of posts on X that police officials detained the couple and took them into custody.
They were placed in separate vehicles and moved to undisclosed locations, she added.
The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka on January 16 issued arrest warrants for the two in a case linked to the allegedly controversial tweets.
Following the arrest, the human rights group Amnesty International said the arrest represented “the latest escalation in an ongoing campaign of judicial harassment and intimidation” by Pakistani authorities.