Pakistan: Punjab Chief Minister Says Province Faces Greater Threat From Neighboring Provinces

Lahore (Terror Monitor) — Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said the province faces a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Center Punjab in Lahore on Saturday, Maryam Nawaz said she wanted the people of Punjab to feel that they could sleep knowing they were living in a safe environment.

“Look at the tri-border areas yourself. Unfortunately, the threats I face are fewer from neighboring countries and greater from neighboring provinces,” she said.

“Terrorism comes into Punjab from there,” she added.

Punjab shares borders with the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while its eastern border is shared with neighboring India.

Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was under scrutiny from all sides but claimed that it remained a secure province where the government had invested in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.

She said billions of rupees had been invested in technology to meet Punjab’s security and safety requirements.

The chief minister said that when she assumed office, she found that militants had access to more advanced technology than security personnel.

“They had night-vision goggles and would come with extensive planning, but now, thankfully, we also have the entire system in place,” she said.

She said CCTV cameras had been reinforced with bulletproof protection because militants had previously targeted them. The government had also installed thermal cameras and invested in drones, she added.

Speaking about measures to strengthen security checkpoints, Maryam Nawaz said the condition of checkpoints had changed significantly over the past two and a half years.

“Look at a checkpoint from two or two and a half years ago. It looked as if security personnel were sitting without any protection behind walls made of a few sandbags,” she said.

“Today, go and see them. There are high walls and secure rooms where personnel can take shelter in case of an attack or protect their lives,” she added.