Overview

• Journalist Anwar Samra reported that Punjab intends to reduce regular police numbers and shift emphasis to the Crime Control Department, a claim not verified by provincial authorities.
• The report describes a 225,300-strong regular force across 720 stations with an annual budget near PKR 235 billion, compared with about 4,000 personnel and a PKR 4.5 billion budget for the CCD.
• Suggested measures include offering golden-handshake retirements to personnel over 50 and removing officers deemed physically unfit.
• Established in April 2025, the CCD is credited in the reporting with substantial reductions in serious crime across the province.
• In other developments, Gujranwala jail officials said inmate Qasim Khokhar died of a heart attack after a five-year ATC sentence, PBS recorded a 1.34% weekly fall in inflation, and religious and political figures praised the Pakistan–Saudi defense pact.