Punjab Police: An audit of the Punjab Home Department for fiscal year 2023–24 has revealed the disappearance of arms and ammunition valued at over Rs245.5 million from police stores across 12 districts in the province.
The findings, submitted to the Punjab Assembly, detail extensive losses due to theft, mismanagement, and failure to recover weapons from multiple police offices. Despite the large-scale losses, none of the missing equipment has been retrieved to date.
Among the major discrepancies:
- Over Rs83.4 million worth of arms vanished from the Muzaffargarh District Police Office (DPO) between 2021 and 2023.
- Ammunition and weapons valued at Rs47.1 million are missing from the DIG Operations Lahore office.
- Rs46.8 million worth of arms are unaccounted for at the Police Office Lahore.
- The Central Police Office (CPO) Multan reported losses exceeding Rs7.4 million.
- Central Jail Lahore’s records of rifles issued in 2009 are missing entirely.
- Additional losses were reported from Sialkot (Rs5.6m), Sahiwal (Rs4.3m), Okara (Rs3.8m), Gujrat (Rs3.5m), and Faisalabad (Rs2.6m).
In response, Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal has ordered a formal inquiry. A three-member committee, led by the Additional IG Special Branch and including the DG Monitoring and Additional Secretary Judicial (Home), has been directed to submit a report within 10 days.
The Home Department emphasized that it does not directly handle weapon storage; law enforcement agencies are responsible for securing and managing arms.
Amid the revelations, tensions flared in the Punjab Assembly during a session on law and order. Leader of the Opposition Ahmad Khan Bhachar voiced strong criticism over the absence of home department officials, calling it a serious lapse during such an important discussion. The panel of Chairperson Samiullah Khan agreed, instructing that a letter of reprimand be sent to the department.
Despite frustrations, opposition members opted not to walk out. Instead, Bhachar delivered a fiery critique of the provincial government’s law enforcement record. He denounced the formation of the new Crime Control Department (CCD), claiming it undermined the 250,000-strong police force by empowering 4,000 individuals without proper justification. He cited recent spikes in crime in Lahore—324 incidents in one day, 370 the next—as evidence of government failure.
Bhachar also accused the police of mistreatment of lawmakers, recounting cases of illegal detentions and aggressive behavior. He labeled the Punjab Police as “instruments of the elite,” disconnected from public service.
He strongly condemned the proposed “Goonda Act,” calling it a relic of colonial-era repression. The legislation would allegedly empower intelligence committees and law enforcement to invade private homes under vague pretenses.
Other opposition members joined the criticism. MPA Sheikh Imtiaz claimed that even drug trafficking in Punjab University had ties to police personnel. PTI’s Ahsan Raza warned that the CCD, as a parallel force, would create friction with the police.
In contrast, ruling party MPAs defended the CCD. Rana Arshad argued it would enhance citizen protection, while Malik Arshad called for expanding the CCD’s reach across the province. PML-N’s Junaid Sahi, however, suggested the CCD be merged into the home department rather than operate independently.
Parliamentary Secretary Khalid Ranjha criticized the opposition’s objections, urging patience for the CCD to prove its effectiveness. He questioned the motives behind the resistance to the Goonda Act, suggesting the opposition feared being held accountable under new enforcement powers.
The controversy over missing arms and the new crime-fighting strategies has sparked intense debate, with both sides trading accusations and defending their visions for public security in Punjab.
