Islamabad, Nov 8 — The surge in alleged encounters in Pakistan's Karachi over the past 10 months has sparked concerns among human rights groups, who have termed the incidents as extrajudicial killings, local media reported on Sunday.
Around 200 suspected street criminals in alleged police encounters during the past 10 months, showcasing a rise of 80 per cent from 109 killed during the same period in 2025. Human rights groups have voiced concerns over the surge in alleged encounters. However, senior police officials claimed that all encounters were genuine and police department also suffered casualties, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.
Although official data does not reveal the number of security personnel injured in the 1,437 encounters that took place from January 1-October 25.
The data by Karachi police revealed that police encounters claimed life of 197 suspects and injured 1,426 others, showcasing a surge of 67.9 per cent from 849 arrests in wounded condition during the period in 2025, Dawn reported.
The data showcased a 71 per cent rise in the number of police encounters in 2026, in comparison to 840 in the corresponding period in 2025.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said that they viewed deaths of suspects in police encounters as "extra-judicial killings", Dawn reported.
He termed it as an "ailment" that had impacted the Punjab Police and it appeared to have now spread to Karachi.
He said that Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)'s fact-finding in Punjab during eight month period revealed that 1,000 suspects were killed in alleged encounters.
In February, the HRCP condemned Pakistan's Crime Control Department (CCD) in Punjab province for pursuing a deliberate policy of staged encounters resulting in extrajudicial killings that fundamentally undermines the rule of law and constitutional protections in the province.
Citing various media reports, the HRCP documented at least 670 CCD-led encounters over the course of eight months in 2025, resulting in the deaths of 924 suspects, with two police officers killed during the same period.
"The extreme casualty imbalance — averaging more than two fatal encounters daily — combined with the uniformity of operational patterns across districts, indicates an institutionalised practice rather than isolated incidents of misconduct. The fact-finding mission has, therefore, called for an urgent high-level judicial enquiry into these deaths," the HRCP said.
The organisation documented a pervasive climate of fear among victims' families. One family reported pressure from police officials to bury the deceased immediately and claimed they were warned that other relatives could be killed if they pursued the case further. Such intimidation, it said, constitutes criminal conduct and represents a fundamental obstruction of justice.