Balochistan, Punjab agree on joint measures to strengthen Safe City Projects

QUETTA, Nov 04 (APP): Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif have agreed to undertake joint initiatives aimed at making Safe City projects in Balochistan more effective, operational and aligned with modern security requirements through institutional cooperation and technical support.
According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, in response to a communication from the Balochistan chief minister, the Punjab chief minister directed the relevant authorities to provide institutional assistance for strengthening the Balochistan Safe City Authority. Both provinces have also agreed to enhance security monitoring systems, technical collaboration and the exchange of expertise through a joint venture between their respective Safe City authorities.
The understanding was discussed during a meeting of the Balochistan Safe City Authority chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. Additional Chief Secretary Home Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat briefed participants on the progress of ongoing projects and informed the meeting that work on Safe City schemes was underway in nine cities across the province.
Director General Punjab Safe City Authority Ahsan Younas said the Punjab authority would provide training, capacity-building support and advanced technical assistance to Balochistan’s personnel to help operationalise and strengthen Safe City projects across the province.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Bugti said Safe City projects were not merely surveillance systems but constituted a modern security infrastructure designed to safeguard the lives and property of citizens. He emphasized that advanced technology and effective security monitoring were essential for maintaining law and order, preventing crime and ensuring a safe environment for residents.
He said modern monitoring systems would assist law enforcement agencies in tracking the movement of criminal elements, identifying suspicious activities in a timely manner and improving emergency response capabilities. The chief minister directed all concerned departments to further accelerate work on the nine ongoing Safe City projects and ensure their completion within the stipulated timeframe through effective coordination and accountability.
Sarfraz Bugti noted that technology-driven security monitoring could substantially contribute to crime prevention and improvements in the overall law and order situation. He added that providing a secure environment for citizens remained one of the government’s foremost responsibilities and said he was personally overseeing progress on the projects.
The chief minister also thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab Safe City Authority for their cooperation and support, stating that inter-provincial collaboration and the exchange of institutional experience would help achieve shared public safety objectives.
Additional Chief Secretary Home Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat informed the meeting that upon completion, the Safe City projects would establish modern technology-based security monitoring systems in nine cities of Balochistan, improving crime prevention efforts, enabling timely identification of suspicious activities and enhancing the operational capacity of law enforcement agencies.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau, Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, Inspector General of Police Balochistan Muhammad Tahir Khan, Director General Balochistan Safe City Authority Muhammad Ashfaq, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Imran Zarkoon, Finance Secretary Jahangir Khan, IT Secretary Ayaz Khan Mandokhail and other relevant officials.