The death of a suspect following an alleged “encounter” with the Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur has ignited debate among lawyers and journalists in Pakistan regarding extrajudicial killings and adherence to due process. The CCD, established last year, faces criticism from human rights organizations like the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), which alleges a pattern of staged police encounters resulting in unlawful deaths. This recent incident involved a suspect accused of intentionally running over a 14-year-old employee in Multan, an act that previously provoked public outrage. The CCD stated the suspect, Tauqeer, had escaped custody and died during a shootout when officers attempted to intercept him and another individual on a motorcycle. This follows a similar incident in Islamabad, raising further concerns over police practices. Legal experts, like Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry, argue that such killings undermine the rule of law and represent a failure of the state to provide fair justice through proper investigation and trial.