Punjab government head in Pakistan says neighboring provinces pose threats
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said in Lahore that the Pakistani province faces a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries. According to her, terrorism enters Punjab through interprovincial borders.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch artificial intelligence technology, Nawaz said threats to Punjab mostly come from neighboring provinces. She also said the law-and-order situation had improved significantly since her government came to power in 2024, Dawn reports.
Technology for security
Nawaz named organized crime and religious intolerance among the main challenges facing the province. Apparently referring to the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, she said that some groups spread hatred under the cover of religion, although they are in fact political forces.
According to the official, Punjab has invested billions of rupees in technology and security and has become the country’s province most equipped with AI technologies. She claims that at the start of her term, terrorists had more advanced technology, including night-vision devices, than government institutions.
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Nawaz said thermal cameras and drones had been deployed at checkpoints and joint checkpoints. The cameras, she said, were made bulletproof because terrorists had previously attacked them. She also said that attacks on checkpoints continue, but the number of deaths has fallen significantly thanks to fortifications and technological solutions.
Claims on fighting crime and corruption
Speaking about the katcha areas, Nawaz said they had previously been a hub of terrorism and crime, including kidnappings for ransom and so-called honey traps. She said that with the support of the military, the Punjab government, and cooperation with the Sindh authorities, the situation had changed: the area had largely been cleared of crime and state control had been restored there.
In addition, the Punjab government head announced a decision to take measures against corruption. She noted that this concerns not only officials or police, but also the prevalence of corrupt practices in society, and said that a mechanism would be created to promptly respond to such cases.
