Punjab Police: Assembly Committee Raises Concerns Over Accountability and Delayed Safety Reforms
Lawmakers questioned police oversight mechanisms, highlighted allegations of misconduct and urged the government to establish Public Safety Commissions without further delay.
Punjab Assembly committee reviews police accountability and oversight measures during a session in Lahore.
LAHORE: A Punjab Assembly committee has expressed serious concern over allegations of police excesses, unresolved complaints against law enforcement agencies and delays in implementing statutory oversight mechanisms, warning that internal accountability measures alone have not delivered effective results.
The Committee on Law Reforms and Delegated Legislation, chaired by Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, reviewed police performance with a particular focus on the Crime Control Department (CCD) amid concerns raised by lawmakers, human rights organisations and civil society groups regarding alleged misconduct and extrajudicial killings.
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Inspector General of Police Rao Abdul Kareem, Regional Police Officer Sheikhupura Athar Ismail and District Police Officer Kasur Aftab Phulwarwan attended the session and briefed committee members on crime patterns in Kasur district and across Punjab.
According to participants, the committee emphasised that its role was to exercise constitutional parliamentary oversight rather than interfere in policing operations, maintaining that elected representatives carry responsibility for ensuring accountability across public institutions.
The committee also reviewed what members described as a coordinated media and online campaign targeting the Punjab Assembly and the Speaker’s office. Members termed the campaign misleading and argued that it attempted to present parliamentary scrutiny as institutional interference.
During deliberations, some members alleged that the campaign had been carried out at the direction of Kasur DPO Aftab Phulwarwan and recommended disciplinary proceedings. The committee decided to refer the matter to the Assembly’s Committee on Privileges for further examination under the applicable rules.
To avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan withdrew from this segment of the proceedings and allowed the committee to continue independently.
Lawmakers also discussed incidents allegedly linked to the Kasur Police, including concerns over respect for religious sites and shortcomings in the handling of a sexual violence investigation. Members argued that such cases highlighted gaps in the police accountability framework.
The committee reviewed complaints submitted by legislators alongside correspondence received from human rights organisations and civil society groups concerning allegations of police high-handedness.
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Members also referenced concerns documented by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan regarding more than 900 alleged police encounter deaths that were previously raised before the United Nations Committee against Torture.
The committee criticised continued delays in forming Public Safety Commissions under the Police Order 2002 despite earlier directives issued by the Speaker in November 2024. Law Department and Punjab Police officials informed members that work to establish the commissions remains in progress.
The meeting was attended by Law Minister Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, lawmakers from treasury and opposition benches, senior assembly officials and representatives from the provincial law department.
