Lahore, April 6 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founder Imran Khan and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have called for an immediate judicial inquiry into the killing of over 1,000 people in "staged encounters" by a special police force formed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
According to an official of HRCP, over 1,000 suspects have been killed by Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) through "staged encounters" during the last year without any accountability.
"The CCD has adopted a deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings," an official of HRCP said on Monday.
In 2025, he said the CCD conducted 670 encounters in Punjab that resulted in the deaths of 924 suspects, while only two police officials were killed during the same timeframe in these encounters. "This figure has now exceeded 1,000," he added.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said Maryam's CCD could kill anyone anytime in the province with total impunity, establishing a law of the jungle in Pakistan.
It cited the recent killing of a Spanish national of Pakistani origin (Nauman Qaisar) who was affiliated with Tehreek-e-Insaf in a staged encounter by CCD.
"Mr. Qaisar came to Pakistan to clear his name in a false murder case against him, but the CCD Punjab Police brutally killed him. The CCD has now become a group of hired assassins that can be used by anyone,"
He sought justice for Qaisar, saying a judicial commission should be formed to investigate such encounters and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Maryam last year formed the CCD, tasking it to reduce the crime rate in the province of 130 million people.
The HRCP said the sharp disparity in casualties — averaging more than two fatal encounters per day — alongside similar operational patterns reported across districts of Punjab seems to be an “institutionalized practice” rather than isolated incidents of misconduct.
It said the special police force has created “a climate of fear among affected families”. The relatives of some suspects killed in staged encounters are pressured by police to bury the deceased immediately and warned of further harm if they pursue legal action.
The HRCP termed such actions as "criminal intimidation and a direct obstruction of justice."
It said this force's operations appear inconsistent with the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which require that lethal force be used only when necessary and proportionate, and that accountability mechanisms be enforced in cases of misuse.
The CCD refuted the claims of fake encounters and extrajudicial killings, saying that officers use measured force against armed criminals who shoot at police. It asserted that the department has "zero tolerance" for unlawful actions.
Rights advocates and civil society members who have been voicing their concerns about the alleged fake encounters said Maryam will face legal action on these encounters once she is no longer in power.
Maryam is the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.