Pakistan: Staggering number of deaths in police encounters showcase failure of criminal justice system

Islamabad, April 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) A lady health worker from Muzaffargarh city of Pakistan's Punjab province requesting country's Chief Justice to conduct an independent probe into the killing of her two sons in an alleged police ‘encounter’ demonstrates the eroding trust of people in provincial authorities to deliver justice. Her statement about police torture and the subsequent killing of her sons in a "so-called encounter" is not an isolated case, a report has stated.

"It reflects a continuing pattern in which the once sporadic instances of police staging encounters to eliminate suspected criminals appear to have evolved into a systemic practice. Figures cited by the media and rights groups reinforce this concern," an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily Dawn stated.

"Estimates based on reported incidents indicate that hundreds of police encounters in recent months have resulted in a staggering number of deaths across Punjab. Rather than prompting action, these encounters have at times been praised by political authorities as an effective deterrent against crime. It signals not just tolerance of extrajudicial methods, but also a tacit endorsement of them as an official crime control policy," it added.

The increase in encounters demonstrates failure of the criminal justice system in Pakistan. Police relying on eliminating instead of prosecuting suspects showcases that investigation, evidence-gathering and trial processes are either too weak or too inconvenient to pursue. Each citizen has a right to a fair trial under the constitution. However, when the state starts to decide who should get that right and who should not, it crosses a dangerous threshold. The acceptance of these killings brutalises society, undermines people's trust and blurs the line between law enforcement and lawlessness, the editorial mentioned.

Earlier in February, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the country's Crime Control Department (CCD) in Punjab province for pursuing a deliberate policy of staged encounters resulting in extrajudicial killings that fundamentally undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections in the province.

Citing various media reports, the HRCP documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters over the course of eight months in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects, with two police officers killed during the same period.

“The extreme casualty imbalance — averaging more than two fatal encounters daily — combined with the uniformity of operational patterns across districts, indicates an institutionalised practice rather than isolated incidents of misconduct. The fact-finding mission has therefore called for an urgent high-level judicial inquiry into these deaths,” the HRCP stated.

The organisation documented a pervasive climate of fear among victims’ families. One family reported pressure from police officials to bury the deceased immediately and claimed they were warned that other relatives could be killed if they pursued the case further. Such intimidation, it said, constitutes criminal conduct and represents a fundamental obstruction of justice.

"The practice of police encounters as a method of crime control has a long and troubling history in Pakistan. Successive provincial governments, especially in Punjab and Sindh, have defended such actions as necessary to combat crime, militancy or systemic inefficiencies within the criminal justice system," the HRCP stated.

However, the organisation highlighted that Pakistani courts, civil society organisations and human rights bodies have repeatedly raised concerns regarding extrajudicial killings, the surrounding lack of accountability and violations of the right to life guaranteed under Article 9 of Pakistan's Constitution.

Source: IANS