The Punjab government’s Crime Control Department (CCD) has declared the death of a 10-year-old girl at the hands of one of its officers a “grave deviation” from its SOPs, announcing his suspension from service and arrest.
In a statement issued amidst mounting criticism of the CCD both locally and internationally, the organization said the tragic incident had occurred on June 10 during an operational response to an armed robbery in Chakwal. “The Department extends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and reaffirms its absolute commitment to transparency, departmental accountability, and the strict adherence to the Rule of Law,” it said.
According to the CCD, its personal intervened during an in-progress armed robbery on the night of June 10, at approximately 11:45 p.m. “Armed robbers had intercepted a family vehicle, holding the occupants at gunpoint. During the ensuing confrontation, an exchange of gunfire occurred after the suspects opened fire on the responding officer,” it continued.
“In the ensuing chaos, the officer involved mistakenly assessed that the suspects were attempting to flee in the victims’ vehicle and discharged his weapon. This erroneous decision resulted in the tragic death of 10-year-old Hania and injuries to her father and brother,” it added.
Emphasizing the officer’s conduct deviated from established SOPs and legal standards governing the use of force, it outlined the department’s subsequent actions. “The officer was suspended from service and taken into custody on the same day. He was later arrested and has since been produced before a court of law and remanded to judicial custody,” it said. “An FIR was registered immediately upon the complaint of the victim’s father. Forensic evidence, including the officer’s weapon and spent cartridges, have been secured and processed,” it said. “The Department is maintaining daily communication with the affected family to provide updates on the investigation’s progress. The family has expressed satisfaction with the pace and transparency of the ongoing legal process,” it added.
The department maintained it is governed by a strict “Code of Conduct” mandating restraint and the proportionate use of force. “We recognize that our primary duty is the protection of human life, and any failure to adhere to the principle of ‘minimum force’ is treated with the highest level of legal and departmental accountability,” it claimed.
“We are conducting a thorough, impartial investigation to ensure that justice is served,” it said, vowing an expeditious legal conclusion to this case.
The CCD, established in February 2025, is supposed to be a specialized police unit and premier investigation agency targeting organized crime across Punjab. However, it has come under increasing criticism over a dramatic uptick in “encounters” that result in the deaths of accused. Earlier this year, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a report on its functioning, accusing it of “a deliberate policy of staged encounters—in many cases resulting in extrajudicial killings—that fundamentally undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections in the province.”
The rights body cited at least 670 CCD-led encounters over the course of eight months in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects. It alleged these encounters revealed systematic violations of Pakistan’s domestic laws and international human rights obligations. It further alleged “a pervasive climate of fear among victims’ families,” claiming one such person had reported pressure from police officials to bury the deceased immediately or risk further harm to their family if they pursued the case further. “Such intimidation constitutes criminal conduct and represents a fundamental obstruction of justice,” it said.