Pakistan's Punjab Police Killed 900 in Eight Months, Human Rights Report Finds

A human rights assessment cited by Al Jazeera in February 2026 documented 900 deaths by Punjab police over eight months—a rate suggesting systemic tolerance for lethal force in pursuit operations. The death of nine-year-old Australian Hania Ahmed in a mistaken-identity shooting this week fits within this pattern, not outside it. The figure raises questions about rules of engagement and enforcement culture across Pakistan's largest province.