National ( The cow news digital ) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken strong notice of the rising crime rate across the province, expressing concern that criminal incidents are still occurring despite the presence of the Safe City project and modern surveillance systems.
Chairing a high-level meeting on law and order, the Chief Minister summoned relevant officials and issued a sharp warning over the failure to control crime in key districts, including Sheikhupura and Faisalabad. She reprimanded Regional Police Officers (RPOs) and District Police Officers (DPOs), directing them to improve coordination with the Crime Control Department (CCD) and ensure visible results on the ground.
Maryam Nawaz termed the increase in criminal activity as “shameful and alarming,” stating that public safety remains the government’s top priority. She emphasized that despite significant investment in surveillance infrastructure, including the Safe City project, crime prevention outcomes are not meeting expectations.
She further stated that Punjab had previously been improved through Safe City initiatives and efforts to modernize policing, but complacency would no longer be tolerated. According to her, the police force has been freed from political interference, and now full accountability is expected in terms of performance and delivery.
The Chief Minister criticized past practices of politically influenced postings and transfers, claiming that such interference has now been eliminated. She stressed that law enforcement agencies must focus entirely on performance and public protection without excuses.
During the meeting, she referred to several recent incidents captured on video, including vehicle battery theft in Gulberg and a street robbery in Gujrat where a bus was reportedly stopped and passengers’ belongings were snatched. She described these incidents as deeply troubling and unacceptable in a modern surveillance-enabled system.
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Maryam Nawaz also expressed concern over drug-related crimes and said that the statistics were disturbing. She highlighted a recent case involving an assault on a child by a bus conductor, stating that such incidents reflect a lack of fear of the law and must be addressed with strict enforcement.
She directed law enforcement agencies to intensify operations against criminals and ensure that Safe City infrastructure is fully utilized to prevent and respond to crimes effectively.
The Chief Minister concluded that restoring public confidence in policing and ensuring a crime-free Punjab remains a top priority, and no negligence will be tolerated moving forward.
