Govt to introduce “Control of Goondas Act 2025” to crack down on criminals

The Punjab government is preparing to launch the “Punjab Control of Goondas Act 2025”, aiming to take strict action against individuals involved in organized criminal activities across the province.

According to officials, the Punjab Home Department has finalized a comprehensive draft of the new law. This legislation proposes strong actions such as blocking Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), passports, and freezing bank accounts of those designated as goondas.

District Intelligence Committees will be authorized to identify and label such individuals based on their involvement in crimes including drug trafficking, extortion, cybercrime, harassment, and other criminal offenses.

In addition, the act will target those involved in using forged documents or publicly displaying weapons. Those declared goondas could face penalties including seizure of digital devices, cancellation of firearms licenses, and placement on the no-fly list.

“Those declared goondas will face a range of penalties, including seizure of digital devices, cancellation of firearms licenses, as well as inclusion of names on the no-fly list.”

Individuals who fail to comply with the directives of the District Intelligence Committees may face 3 to 5 years in prison and fines of up to Rs1.5 million. A spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department also stated that repeat offenders could face up to 7 years in jail and fines of Rs2 million.

This initiative follows an earlier move by the Punjab government to monitor habitual criminals through electronic tagging devices. In a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Home Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, it was decided to introduce real-time tracking for habitual offenders and individuals on the Fourth Schedule.

“Under the new plan, electronic tracking devices will be attached to habitual offenders and individuals listed under the Fourth Schedule to monitor their movements in real time.”

Initially, 1,500 tracking devices will be distributed among security agencies such as the CTD, Parole Department, and Crime Control authorities to boost surveillance and crime control efforts across the province.