Punjab's Crime Control Department orders zero-tolerance push against drug dealing near schools and colleges

Punjab's Crime Control Department has launched a province-wide crackdown on the sale, purchase and use of narcotics and other intoxicating substances, with a particular focus on dealers operating in and around schools and colleges, according to a report by ProPakistani. The outlet, which first reported the directive, said the action was ordered by Additional Inspector General of Crime Control Department Punjab Sohail Zafar Chattha, who instructed officials to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against drug-related activity. ProPakistani did not publish the underlying CCD order or a link to any official notification.

ProPakistani reports that the CCD has prepared what it describes as an emergency action plan covering educational institutions. Under the plan, immediate legal action will be taken against drug dealers and suppliers found operating near schools, colleges and other teaching facilities, and authorities will carry out regular monitoring of these premises to protect students. The department's spokesperson also said law-enforcement agencies are actively targeting major drug networks and dealers across the province, ProPakistani reports.

Beyond enforcement, the CCD has asked parents and teachers to closely monitor children's habits and daily routines, and to remain alert to signs of drug use, according to ProPakistani. Citizens have been invited to report individuals involved in the sale or supply of narcotics without fear of retaliation, with the department saying public cooperation would be essential to eliminating what it called the drug menace. ProPakistani did not specify any hotline, mobile app or formal reporting channel through which the public can submit tips.

Where the directive sits in a wider anti-narcotics push

The CCD announcement sits alongside a separate, longer-running Punjab Police operation that has run through 2026 under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's 'Drug-Free Punjab' vision and Inspector General of Police Punjab Abdul Kareem. The Nation reported on 12 May 2026 that police had arrested 17,167 drug peddlers during the current year, registered 17,171 cases, and recovered 9,285 kilograms of charas, 1,002 kilograms of heroin, 505 kilograms of ice, 510 kilograms of opium and more than 245,000 litres of liquor. In Lahore alone, the same report said, police arrested 2,102 peddlers and registered 2,037 cases in 2026. Whether the new CCD directive forms part of, runs parallel to, or supersedes that IGP-led campaign is not clarified in the ProPakistani report, and the two actions involve different officials and command structures.

What is not yet known

Several details that would normally accompany an enforcement announcement of this kind are missing from the public record. ProPakistani does not name a CCD spokesperson on the record, reproduce the text of the emergency action plan, set out timelines for the new operation, specify whether additional units or resources are being deployed near educational institutions, or indicate whether arrests or seizures have already been made under the new directive. No CCD press release, notification, or official statement was available to independently verify the order, and The Nation's May 2026 figures relate to Punjab Police's earlier campaign rather than this specific CCD action.

TEKZARO has asked the Punjab Crime Control Department for confirmation of the directive, the timeline of the new operation, and any operational results so far. This story will be updated if the department responds or if its official notification becomes publicly available. The ProPakistani report remains the sole source on the record at present.