April 6, 2026
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
A suspect accused of raping a minor girl was killed in an alleged police encounter in Gujranwala on April 5, adding to a growing pattern of extrajudicial killings of rape accused across Punjab.
According to a statement posted on the official social media handle of the City Police Officer (CPO) of Gujranwala, the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Khiali Police Station. Police claimed the suspect — who was on physical remand — was shot dead by his own accomplices while attempting to escape custody.
He had reportedly kidnapped a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint on April 3, 2026, as she was on her way to a madrassa, and sexually assaulted her. Police records indicated he had prior involvement in serious crimes, including the kidnapping and trafficking of children. The suspect was identified as Arsalan, commonly known as Rana Shani. Police sources stated that he was accused in three cases by the Gujranwala police.
In the statement, CPO Dr Sardar Ghias reiterated that a zero-tolerance policy for crimes against women and children was being strictly implemented, adding that “law-breaking elements do not deserve any concessions.”
The Gujranwala incident is not isolated. In March, a man identified as Salman — accused of the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in the Sohdra area — was similarly killed in an alleged encounter in the district. Arrested by the Crime Control Department (CCD) within hours of the victim’s body being discovered, Salman was reportedly leading a police team to recover the murder weapon when armed accomplices allegedly ambushed the party.
He was fatally shot in the ensuing crossfire — again, according to police, by bullets fired by his own associates.
A recurring pattern
These cases reflect a broader trend documented across Punjab. An investigation by Voicepk found that between May 1 and August 23, 2025, at least 14 suspects accused of rape and gang rape were killed in CCD operations. In every instance, police maintained the same account: that the suspects were shot dead by accomplices attempting to free them. Neither the provincial government nor the police have released comprehensive statistics on such incidents, despite their increasing frequency.
HRCP report on CCD encounters
Human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding these operations.
In February, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released a fact-finding report concluding that the CCD had adopted a deliberate policy of staged encounters — many resulting in extrajudicial killings — that fundamentally undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections in the province.
HRCP documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters over eight months in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects. Only two police officers were killed during the same period.
The extreme casualty imbalance — averaging more than two fatal encounters per day — combined with near-identical operational narratives across districts, pointed to an institutionalised practice rather than isolated incidents of misconduct.
The report further noted that the near-uniform language in CCD press releases and first information reports — suspects fired first, police acted in self-defence, the deceased were invariably described as hardened criminals — appeared in virtually every case reviewed, suggesting orchestrated messaging rather than independent operational outcomes.
The HRCP mission found systematic violations of both domestic law and international human rights obligations. The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022 mandates the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate every custodial death under the supervision of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).
However, the mission found no evidence that this procedure was consistently followed. In at least one case, it was a court — not the state — that directed the FIA to investigate. Magisterial inquiries required under Sections 174–176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure also appeared not to have been conducted.
The mission further documented a climate of fear among victims’ families. One family reported being pressured by police to bury their relative immediately and was warned that other family members could be harmed if they pursued the case. The HRCP called such intimidation a criminal obstruction of justice.
The Punjab government and CCD officials did not respond to the mission’s request for a meeting — a silence the report described as indicative of institutional unwillingness to address credible allegations of grave human rights violations.
The HRCP report called for an immediate province-wide moratorium on all encounter operations until comprehensive legal safeguards and independent oversight mechanisms are put in place.
Among other recommendations, it urged the FIA to investigate all encounter-related deaths under NCHR supervision, called for the establishment of an independent civilian police oversight commission, and recommended mandatory compensation for the families of all individuals killed in encounter operations.