The killing of nine suspects in Punjab province’s Crime Control Department operations in Lahore, Sahiwal, and Toba Tek Singh has drawn attention due to a recurring pattern. Suspects allegedly opening fire, police responding, and suspects ending up dead while accomplices escape have led to questions about Pakistan’s criminal justice system. Recent incidents echo a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report criticizing the CCD for staged police encounters resulting in extrajudicial killings.
These deaths, occurring shortly after the HRCP report, shed light on the CCD’s actions, with 670 encounters in 2025 resulting in 924 suspect deaths. The incidents, including six deaths in Lahore, raise concerns about the use of lethal force as a default response to crime. Such extrajudicial actions erode trust in law enforcement institutions and the rule of law, impacting citizens’ safety and access to justice.
The editorial in Dawn highlighted the culture of impunity surrounding these encounters, emphasizing that justice is circumvented when suspects are killed before facing trial. The recent plea by a lady health worker in Punjab for an independent probe into her sons’ deaths in a police encounter reflects a broader issue of eroding trust in provincial authorities. The increasing number of encounters in Punjab indicates a failure of the criminal justice system, where eliminating suspects takes precedence over due process, undermining societal trust and the rule of law.
