Maryam Says Punjab Faces Bigger Security Threat From Provincial Borders

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has raised concerns over security threats reaching Punjab through its boundaries with other provinces, saying terrorism and organised criminal activity require stronger inter-provincial coordination. She made the remarks in Lahore while addressing the e-launch ceremony of Punjab's Artificial Intelligence Hub, where she outlined the provincial government's increasing reliance on technology for security and law enforcement.

Maryam said Punjab was confronting a changing security environment involving terrorism, organised crime and ethnic and religious tensions. Referring to areas where provincial boundaries meet, she argued that threats emerging through internal borders had become an important security challenge and stressed the need for closer cooperation between provincial and federal institutions.

The chief minister said the newly launched AI Hub was designed to strengthen intelligence fusion, speed up information sharing and help authorities identify emerging threats before they developed into major incidents. She described Punjab as increasingly technology-enabled and said substantial public resources had been directed towards modernising security infrastructure and improving the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond quickly.

According to Maryam, security checkposts in sensitive and tri-border areas have been reinforced with modern equipment. She said authorities had introduced bulletproof protection, thermal imaging systems, night-vision capabilities and drones after recognising that militants were using increasingly sophisticated technology. The upgrades, she said, were intended to reduce risks faced by personnel and improve surveillance in vulnerable areas.

Maryam also pointed to operations in Punjab's riverine Kaccha areas, saying cooperation involving the military and the Punjab and Sindh governments had helped strengthen the state's writ. She claimed that overall crime in Punjab had fallen by around 70%, while acknowledging that serious offences, including child abuse and sexual violence, remained major concerns requiring continued action.

The chief minister also linked the technology programme with an anti-corruption drive inside government departments and law enforcement agencies. She said a public helpline had been established for reporting bribery and corruption allegations and that officials had been instructed to act when evidence was available. Body cameras have also been introduced for personnel in an effort to improve oversight of their conduct while on duty.

The remarks place inter-provincial security coordination at the centre of Punjab's evolving security strategy. Better intelligence sharing between provincial police forces, federal agencies and other security institutions could become increasingly important where militant or criminal networks operate across administrative boundaries. The AI Hub is expected to serve as a central platform for analysing information and supporting faster coordinated responses.

The next phase will depend on how effectively the new technology is integrated into day-to-day policing and intelligence operations. Punjab authorities are expected to continue expanding surveillance, data analysis and coordination mechanisms while assessing whether the system improves early threat detection, protects security personnel and produces measurable reductions in serious crime.