Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved a major expansion and restructuring of the Crime Control Department (CCD), positioning it as a high-tech, elite investigative force modeled on the world’s leading crime control agencies.
The move reflects the provincial government’s push to institutionalize an aggressive crackdown on crime amid claims of sharp reductions in major offenses across Punjab.
According to an official handout issued Tuesday, the decision was taken in view of the CCD’s recent performance and what authorities described as strong public approval of its operations.
Officials said the department would be developed on the lines of the world’s top five crime-fighting agencies, with a focus on intelligence-led policing, modern forensics, and advanced technology.
Under the approved plan, the Chief Minister has directed that the CCD be equipped with state-of-the-art forensic facilities, advanced investigative training, artificial intelligence–based crime analysis software, digital intelligence and surveillance systems, and modern operational equipment.
CCD offices, specialized police stations, and residential facilities for personnel will be established in every division, district, and tehsil of Punjab to ensure province-wide coverage and faster response times.
Maryam Nawaz has also approved the establishment of a fully equipped CCD headquarters and a modern research and development centre. The research centre will focus on developing new crime prevention strategies, predictive policing models, and data-driven approaches to counter organized crime, street crime, and emerging criminal trends.
As part of its expanded mandate, the CCD has been tasked with taking strict action against perpetrators of acid attacks on women, a crime the Chief Minister described as intolerable under any circumstances.
She also approved a province-wide campaign against illegal weapons to be launched after Eid ul Fitr, aimed at dismantling armed criminal networks and reducing gun violence.
Commenting on the reforms, Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was becoming safer with each passing day, adding that the government’s targeted and strategic crackdown on crime was delivering historic results.
She cited official statistics comparing January–February 2025 with the same period in 2026, claiming a substantial decline in major crimes across the province.
According to the data shared by the Chief Minister, dacoity 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 said the downward trend was consistent across almost all crime categories, declaring, “We will not rest until every citizen feels safe and secure. Well done, CCD and Punjab Police.”
However, the CCD’s expanding role and aggressive enforcement tactics have also drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates.
A report released earlier by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters across Punjab over an eight-month period in 2025.
These operations reportedly resulted in the deaths of 924 suspects, while only two police officials lost their lives.
The HRCP said the scale and consistency of the encounters suggested an “institutionalised practice” rather than isolated incidents.
The commission highlighted serious gaps in legal oversight, including the absence of mandatory magisterial enquiries under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and limited investigations by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into custodial deaths, despite requirements under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022.
In several cases, relatives of deceased suspects told the commission they were allegedly pressured by police to bury bodies immediately, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
The HRCP also questioned the use of lethal force, stating that CCD operations appeared inconsistent with United Nations standards, which require that force be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and subject to independent accountability.
The commission further noted that official CCD press releases and First Information Reports often followed nearly identical narratives, routinely labeling those killed as “hardened criminals”, a pattern the HRCP said undermines due process and calls for independent scrutiny.
As the Punjab government moves ahead with transforming the CCD into a powerful, technology-driven crime control force, the expansion underscores a growing tension between aggressive law enforcement and human rights safeguards.
While authorities point to falling crime rates as evidence of success, rights groups continue to warn that lasting public safety depends not only on enforcement but also on accountability, legal oversight, and adherence to constitutional and international standards.
The CCD’s expansion is expected to significantly reshape policing in Punjab, making it one of the most consequential law enforcement reforms undertaken by the provincial government in recent years.
