LAHORE, Punjab: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the security threat in Punjab was greater from neighbouring provinces than from neighbouring countries. She cited risks along the tri-border and inter-provincial areas.
Speaking on September 5 at the inauguration of the Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre (PIFTAC) and the e-launch of the AI Hub Punjab, Maryam said that joint checkposts in vulnerable areas had been strengthened. These checkposts were upgraded with new surveillance and protective equipment.
She said police personnel had previously suffered casualties at checkposts while militants possessed sophisticated weapons and night-vision equipment. The upgraded posts now include bulletproof protection, thermal imaging and night-vision cameras, she said.
"پنجاب میں امن و امان کی صورتحال میں نمایاں بہتری، جدید ٹیکنالوجی اور AI پر مبنی انٹیلیجنس کے ذریعے بروقت کارروائیوں سے مذہبی ہم آہنگی اور محفوظ ماحول کو یقینی بنایا جا رہا ہے۔"
وزیرِاعلیٰ پنجاب مریم نواز شریف کا آرٹیفیشل انٹیلیجنس حب کی لانچنگ تقریب سے خطاب۔ pic.twitter.com/NICAqgDfyq
— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) September 5, 2026
Maryam said the provincial government would make no compromise on law and order. She stated that it had adopted a proactive approach aimed at detecting threats before incidents occurred. Furthermore, PIFTAC and the AI hub are designed to improve intelligence sharing and coordination between police, Special Branch and other security agencies.
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The chief minister also claimed that overall crime in Punjab had fallen by up to 70%. She said that the state’s writ had been restored in riverine katcha areas previously affected by organised crime. The 70% figure was presented by Maryam. However, it was not accompanied in the available reports by a detailed province-wide crime dataset.
She said maintaining security was as important as development spending. She argued that infrastructure projects had limited value if citizens remained exposed to theft, violence or loss of property.