CM Maryam orders anti-drone unit

Punjab Apex Committee reviews Afghan repatriation

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered that an anti-drone unit should be made fully operational in the province.

Presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee, she said anti-drone cells should also be established at the district level.

The committee reviewed the security situation in the province, paid tribute to Pakistan Army over the success of Operation Zarbul Haq, and prayed for the martyrs who laid down their lives in defence of the homeland.

A briefing was given on pre-emptive security measures taken by the Punjab government for public safety. Progress on the repatriation of illegally residing Afghan nationals was also reviewed, while the need for joint measures, coordination and cooperation to eliminate terrorism was emphasised.

The participants were informed that more than 10,500 illegal Afghan nationals had been repatriated and daily combing operations were continuing.

The chief minister said she is proud of Pakistan and its leadership, adding that despite multiple challenges, the country is being blessed with success.

Referring to recent protests, she said Lahore police had handled the situation effectively and remained present to protect peaceful protesters, while Iftar had also been served to the demonstrators. She appreciated Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique for maintaining contact with religious scholars.

Expressing gratitude to the Pakistan Army and Sindh Police for success of a security operation in the katcha region, she said no case of kidnapping for ransom had surfaced in the area for the past three and a half months.

She added that a Rs10 billion development package, including Safe City infrastructure, education and health reforms, was being introduced for the region, where 1,500 personnel would be deployed along with bulletproof vehicles. The chief minister said digital monitoring of anti-social elements was essential. She noted that for the first time in Pakistan's history, a monthly honorarium had been fixed for 74,000 imams of mosques. She observed that full compliance with the ban on unsafe motorbike practices on Basant had demonstrated public respect for the law.

She also said Lahore was moving towards becoming smog-free without closure of schools and hotels.

The chief minister ordered strict implementation of standard operating procedures for the security of Chinese nationals and said negligence in this regard would be tolerated.

Chinese nationals would move only under police escort, she added.

She added that artificial intelligence-based technology, following the Chinese model, would be introduced for traffic management in Lahore.

The committee commended the law and order in Punjab and coordination among security institutions. The corps commander of Lahore and other senior officials also attended the session.

Meanwhile, a decision in principle was taken in a meeting jointly chaired by Pakistan Muslim League-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to impose a ban on protest gatherings and rallies on Mall Road in order to preserve its heritage.

A plan for the construction of a bridge to connect the Tomb of Jahangir with a main road under the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LAHAR) project was approved in the meeting held to review progress on the restoration of heritage sites in the provincial capital.