Punjab Police on Thursday categorically rejected all allegations of fake encounters involving its Crime Control Department (CCD), calling them false, baseless, and driven by social media rumours.
The force submitted a detailed written report to the Lahore High Court (LHC) in compliance with the court’s directives.
On December 12, the LHC had issued notices to the Punjab government and police on a petition claiming around 1,100 staged killings since January, alleging that fabricated FIRs were registered against victims before their deaths. The petitioner cited Vehari-based advocate Zeeshan Dhaddi as an example.
The police report highlighted crime reductions across the province: robbery cases fell from 792 in 2024 to 324 in 2025, a 69 per cent drop, while street crimes including snatching and robbery declined from around 41,000 to 18,608, a 62 per cent decrease. Vehicle snatching fell by 64 per cent, car theft by 60 per cent, and motorcycle snatching cases dropped from 9,754 to 4,628. Cases of robbery-cum-murder also declined from 170 to 96, a 60 per cent decrease.
The report noted operational losses, including one sub-inspector killed and 96 personnel injured during CCD operations. It said the department successfully apprehended Category-A proclaimed offenders, dismantled criminal gangs, and traced their networks.
Regarding allegations of custodial torture and deaths, the police stated that 42 cases had been transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the law. CCD operations, the report said, are conducted strictly within the legal framework, with arrests, investigations, and prosecutions carried out transparently. Punjab Police stressed that officers found violating laws face strict departmental and legal action.
The report also noted that accusations against the CCD were largely based on unverified social media claims.
During the same hearing in December, it emerged that three suspected drug peddlers – Lazar Masih, Naseer Ahmed, and Ali Baoo – were killed in alleged encounters in Lahore’s Defence and Kotwali areas. Police said the suspects were caught in crossfire after their accomplices ambushed officers while transporting the detainees. Bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, and searches for the remaining gang members are ongoing.
In a related matter, the LHC directed the Punjab additional advocate general to submit a compliance report on a petition alleging that seven policemen from the Factory Area police station forcibly entered a house in plainclothes and tortured its occupants without judicial authorisation.