Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz has approved a major expansion of the Crime Control Department (CCD), aiming to transform it into a premier investigative agency.

A handout issued on Tuesday said the decision was taken in view of the department’s performance in curbing crime and positive public response to its operations. Officials said the CCD would be developed on the lines of the world’s five leading crime control agencies.

 

The CM directed that the department be equipped with modern forensic facilities, advanced investigative skills, artificial intelligence-based software, intelligence surveillance systems, and state-of-the-art machinery. CCD offices, police stations, and residential facilities are to be established in every division, district, and tehsil across Punjab.

 

The CM also approved the creation of a fully-equipped CCD headquarters and a modern research centre dedicated to developing new strategies for crime control. She assigned the department the task of taking strict action against perpetrators of acid attacks on women and approved a province-wide campaign against illegal weapons after Eid ul Fitr.

Commenting on the improvements, the Chief Minister said that Punjab was becoming safer every day and that the strategic crackdown on crime was yielding historic results. 

 

She added that, comparing January and February 2025 to the same period in 2026, the province had achieved a massive reduction across major crimes. Dacoity had dropped by 77 percent, kidnapping for ransom by 54 percent, robbery by 39 percent, murder by 31 percent, and vehicle theft by 17 percent.

 

She stated that the downward trend was consistent across all types of crime and added, “We will not rest until every citizen feels secure. Well done, CCD and Punjab Police.”

According to a report released earlier by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), at least 670 CCD-led encounters took place across Punjab over eight months in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects while only two police officials were killed. The commission noted that the scale and consistency of the operations suggested an “institutionalised practice” rather than isolated incidents.

 

The HRCP highlighted gaps in legal oversight, including the lack of magisterial inquiries under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and limited Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigations into custodial deaths, which are mandated under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022. In some cases, relatives of the deceased reported being pressured by police to bury bodies immediately.

 

The commission raised concerns over the use of lethal force, saying CCD operations appeared inconsistent with UN standards that require force to be necessary, proportionate, and subject to accountability. HRCP also noted that press releases and FIRs from the department followed a near-identical narrative, portraying those killed as “hardened criminals.”