LAHORE(National times)- The Crime Control Department (CCD) has claimed a significant decline in crime across Punjab, particularly in Lahore, during a comparative review from May 2024 to May 2025. According to the CCD, special operations were launched in May last year, and a detailed performance review was presented at a recent meeting. In Lahore, murder cases dropped from 361 to 220, reflecting a 39 percent decrease. Attempted murder cases declined from 812 to 504, marking a 38 percent reduction. The department said robbery incidents decreased from 35 to 15, while house robberies fell from 33 to 6. Street crime incidents saw a 78 percent decline, and cases of motorcycle and car snatching dropped by 69 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Province-wide statistics also showed improvement. Murder cases decreased from 3,952 to 3,022 — a 24 percent reduction — while attempted murder incidents fell by 18 percent. The CCD stated that during these operations, 19 police officials were martyred and 167 others injured, including 13 personnel from the CCD. Meanwhile, the department rejected a fact-finding report issued by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), terming allegations of fake encounters and extrajudicial actions as baseless. The report had claimed that 924 suspects were killed in 670 encounters during the first eight months of 2025. The CCD maintained that it operates under the Constitution of Pakistan and the Police Order 2002, and that the use of force is exercised only as a last resort.