LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Waqas Mahmood Maan has written an open letter to Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, calling for a formal debate in the Punjab Assembly on the functioning and accountability of the Crime Control Department (CCD) in light of a recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In his letter, the PTI lawmaker acknowledged the Speaker’s efforts to strengthen parliamentary traditions, including empowering standing committees and encouraging members to exercise constitutional oversight over the government. However, he stressed that meaningful debate on key governance and human rights issues was still lacking.

Referring to HRCP’s fact-finding report dated February 17, 2026, Waqas Mahmood alleged that the CCD had “usurped the role of the judiciary,” thereby disturbing the constitutional balance among the executive, judiciary and legislature. He maintained that the trichotomy of powers was central to parliamentary democracy and warned against any institution overstepping its mandate.

Citing the HRCP findings, he said that at least 670 CCD-led encounters were reported in Punjab during eight months of 2025, resulting in 924 deaths. According to him, the report raised serious concerns about alleged staged encounters and extrajudicial killings that, if substantiated, would undermine the rule of law and constitutional protections.

MPA Waqas Mahmood says HRCP’s report on CCD encounters deserves serious parliamentary consideration

The MPA also referred to the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022, stating that it required the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate custodial deaths under the supervision of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR). He said that the HRCP report found no clear evidence that mandatory procedures, including magisterial inquiries under Sections 174–176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, were consistently followed in the cases reviewed.

Waqas Mahmood further argued that law enforcement operations must comply with international standards, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. He stressed that sustainable public safety could not be achieved through measures that bypass investigation, prosecution and judicial accountability.

In his letter, the PTI MPA also recalled that during the Assembly session on February 25, 2026, when he attempted to raise the issue based on the HRCP report, his remarks were termed hearsay. He described HRCP as a credible institution with a four-decade record of human rights advocacy and said its report deserved serious parliamentary consideration.

Calling upon the Speaker to remain impartial as custodian of the House, Waqas Mahmood demanded that a specific day be fixed for debate on the HRCP report and that the government be directed to brief the Assembly on the CCD’s mandate, operations and accountability mechanisms. He reminded the Speaker of his assurance during the February 25 session to allow discussion on the matter.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026