February 25, 2026
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Just days after the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released its scathing report alleging that Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) is pursuing a “systemic policy of extrajudicial killings,” the department has reported its first police encounter.
Three suspects allegedly involved in a widely circulated robbery at a restaurant in Lahore’s Lytton Road area were killed on Tuesday during what officials described as an armed exchange with a CCD team.
‘We were ambushed’: Police
According to a police official, the case was handed over to CCD Lahore, while a separate police team traced and arrested the three suspects — identified as Naeem, Ashraf and Kabir — from Sahiwal and Narowal, where they had reportedly gone into hiding to evade arrest.
One of the suspects, Naeem alias “Andheri,” had previously remained in jail and, after his release, allegedly formed a criminal gang, the official said.
The officer claimed that the CCD team was transporting the arrested men to the Karol Ghati area for recovery of weapons and stolen property when unidentified armed men ambushed the police party in an attempt to free them.
“In the crossfire, the three suspects were killed by firing from their own accomplices,” the official stated. No police casualties were immediately reported, nor was there confirmation of any arrests among the alleged attackers.
The suspects were spotted in a viral video showing three men looting a restaurant in Lahore’s Lytton Road area. According to reports, the suspects entered the restaurant where a family, including women and children, was present. They held up the employees and snatched belongings, including mobile phones. During the looting spree, a young girl fainted, and the video clip of the incident went viral on social media.
HRCP’s findings and call for inquiry
The encounter comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the CCD following HRCP’s report titled “The CCD’s Role in Punjab,” released on February 17.
The rights body documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters between April 15 and December 15, 2025, resulting in 924 reported deaths of suspects — including two women — while only two police officials were killed during the same period. The commission described the casualty disparity as “statistically implausible” in genuine armed confrontations.
HRCP alleged patterns of “copy-paste FIRs,” absence of independent witnesses, failure to conduct mandatory magisterial inquiries under Sections 174–176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and lack of compliance with the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022.
Calling the situation a “breakdown of constitutional governance,” the commission urged an immediate province-wide moratorium on CCD encounter operations and demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into all reported deaths.
PTI demands judicial probe
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday also expressed concern over deaths linked to CCD operations and called for an independent judicial inquiry.
In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram questioned the scale of fatalities reported in alleged encounters.
“During the last eight months, as many as 670 encounters and 924 deaths have been reported. What is happening in Punjab? Is it an official state policy?” he asked.
He questioned why the provincial government had not publicly addressed the HRCP findings. “Will the law be enforced through courts or through encounters? Under which law have such powers been given to the CCD?” he said.
Akram called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to clarify the scope of authority granted to the department, adding that “no individual or institution can be given authority above the law.” He warned that public trust would erode further if transparency was not ensured.
CCD rejects allegations, cites crime reduction
The CCD has rejected HRCP’s allegations, terming claims of staged encounters and extrajudicial killings as unfounded and contrary to its operational framework.
In a press release issued earlier this week, the department stated that it operates strictly within the Constitution of Pakistan, the Police Order 2002 and applicable criminal procedure laws. It maintained that arrests remain the primary objective of its operations and that the use of force is governed by the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.
The department also cited comparative crime data from the post-May period of 2024 and 2025, claiming significant reductions across Punjab, particularly in Lahore.
According to CCD figures, murders in Lahore declined by 39 per cent, attempted murder by 38 per cent, dacoity by 57 per cent, and robbery by 78 per cent. Province-wide data showed declines in major crime categories, including a 24 per cent reduction in murders and a 53 per cent drop in robbery.
However, the department acknowledged that operations came at a cost, stating that 19 police officers were killed across Punjab during the period, while 167 personnel — including 13 CCD members — sustained firearm-related or serious operational injuries.
Responding to concerns about abuse of authority, the CCD said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy against torture, corruption, fabrication of evidence and unlawful use of force. It added that officers found guilty of misconduct are proceeded against under departmental and criminal laws without discrimination.
Renewed debate over rule of law
Tuesday’s reported encounter — occurring shortly after HRCP’s call for a moratorium — is likely to intensify debate over policing practices in Punjab.
While authorities argue that robust enforcement has contributed to measurable reductions in crime, rights groups and opposition leaders insist that any use of lethal force must withstand independent scrutiny and adhere strictly to constitutional guarantees of due process.
Whether this latest incident prompts the judicial inquiry demanded by rights advocates and opposition parties remains to be seen. For now, it underscores the deepening contest between claims of effective crime control and allegations of institutionalised excess within Punjab’s law enforcement framework.