In Pakistan’s Punjab province, at least 924 people have been killed by police over the past eight months, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The killings occurred between April and December of last year, reports Al Jazeera.
The HRCP report states that the Crime Control Department (CCD) was established in Punjab in April 2025 to combat major and organized crime. Since its formation, at least 670 “encounters” conducted by the CCD have resulted in the deaths of 924 suspected individuals.
One of the victims was the family of Zubaida Bibi from Bahawalpur in southern Punjab. She told reporters that armed CCD officers raided their home in November, looting mobile phones, cash, jewellery, and her daughter’s dowry money. Her sons were also taken by the officers. Within 24 hours, five members of Zubaida’s family—including her three sons, Imran (25), Irfan (23), and Adnan (18), and two sons-in-law—were killed in police encounters across various districts in Punjab.
Zubaida said:
“We followed the officers to Lahore and pleaded for our children’s release. But the next morning, we received news of their deaths.”
Her husband, Abdul Jabbar, added:
“My sons had no criminal records. They were all married, employed, and responsible fathers.”
Zubaida further stated:
“When I filed a case in court, the police threatened that the remaining family members would be killed if the case was pursued.”
The HRCP’s investigative report states that the CCD in Punjab has been conducting planned extrajudicial killings, violating both the law and the constitution. The CCD was formed under the supervision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and niece of current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
