Alarm as CCD encounter killings cross 100

Rights groups raise concerns over transparency, scale of operations

LAHORE:

The Crime Control Department (CCD) has crossed the 100-mark in encounter killings during its ongoing campaign against alleged drug peddlers and narcotics networks across Punjab, sparking renewed concerns among human rights organizations regarding the scale, methods, and transparency of the operations.

The latest incident occurred late Monday night in Lahore, when five suspects in custody were killed in an alleged exchange of fire.

According to reports, CCD personnel were escorting the detainees for a recovery operation when 'unidentified assailants', believed to be accomplices of the suspects, ambushed the team.

The deceased have been identified as Rafaqat, Shahid Akram, Zahid, Nadir Afzal, and Kamran Iqbal, all previously held in cases registered across Model Town, Township, Iqbal Town, and Saddar divisions. Officials said the suspects were shot during the crossfire, while CCD personnel remained unharmed. Their bodies were shifted to the morgue for medico-legal examination.

Though no consolidated provincial statement has been issued by the CCD or Punjab Police, media reports indicate a rapid escalation in encounter-related deaths: over the past 48 hours, 18 suspects linked to ICE trafficking were reportedly killed in separate operations across Lahore, Sheikhupura, and Kasur. Earlier this week, 23 more alleged drug peddlers were killed in raids in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Okara, and Sialkot.

In Lahore alone, at least 22 fatalities have been reported during multiple late-night encounters since the crackdown began. Additional deaths have been reported in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha districts.

The crackdown has also targeted law enforcement officials allegedly involved in the drug trade.

At least 17 policemen have been detained on charges of facilitating drug peddling or maintaining links with narcotics networks, with departmental inquiries ongoing.

The growing number of deaths involving suspects already in custody has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups.

Legal observers note that in most cases, police have neither identified nor arrested alleged attackers, and independent verification of the events remains limited.

Provincial authorities defend the CCD's actions, stating the campaign targets organised drug networks, particularly those dealing in synthetic drugs.

Officials argue that armed confrontations have intensified due to resistance from criminal groups.

Despite repeated calls for transparency, the Punjab government has yet to release an official, district-wise breakdown of encounter deaths linked to the CCD operations.

As the campaign continues, the tally of over 100 fatalities has reignited debates on policing methods, accountability, and oversight across the province.