Punjab announces ban on spy glasses, covert surveillance devices

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to impose Section 144 to ban the use of spy glasses, camera-equipped pens, key chains and button cameras, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Monday, adding that the Home Department had been directed to launch a crackdown on the devices.

Speaking at a press conference at the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) after a provincial cabinet meeting, Bukhari said the decision had been taken by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to protect citizens’ privacy and personal information.

The restrictions target devices that can be used for covert recording and surveillance, amid concerns about their misuse for harassment, illegal monitoring and blackmailing.

The minister said the measure intends to take strict legal action against the misuse and trade of such equipment.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny of camera-equipped smart glasses in Pakistan. The Lahore High Court has been hearing petitions seeking regulatory action over the sale and use of smart glasses capable of capturing photographs, audio and video, raising concerns about privacy and security.

At the press conference, Bukhari also outlined decisions taken at a provincial cabinet meeting, including approval of a three-year industrial development programme expected to attract investment of Rs3 trillion.

She said 46 private-sector investors were ready to invest in the programme, which includes the development of agriculture and livestock. The initiative is expected to generate more than 150,000 jobs, she added.

Bukhari said the government was working to ensure that products made in Pakistan were exported under the country’s own name. Pink salt, she said, would be exported as a Pakistani product, while testing facilities for locally manufactured fans would also be established in the country.

She said the provincial government had provided more than 30,000 tractors during the chief minister’s first two years in office and would pay Rs9.5 billion in subsidies. The government was also planning to establish Parks and Horticulture Authorities in every district, she added.

Bukhari said Punjab would provide six Clinics on Wheels vehicles to Gilgit-Baltistan. She also referred to a skills and employment initiative under which young people had been facilitated for jobs in Saudi Arabia.

Turning to security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the minister criticised Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over his position on the Pakistan Taliban, saying he did not describe the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a terrorist organisation.

Bukhari also alleged that successive provincial governments had issued thousands of mineral exploration and mining licences in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said 4,200 licences had been issued between 2013 and 2026, compared with 422 from Pakistan’s independence until 2010, and alleged that around 1,000 had been issued during the tenures of Chief Ministers Sohail Afridi and Ali Amin Gandapur. These figures and allegations were not independently verified.

Transport Pollution and Measures

Addressing the press conference, Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan said transport accounted for 30 per cent of air pollution and outlined measures to improve public transport and reduce emissions.

He said the chief minister would inaugurate a metro system in Gujranwala in March 2027. Punjab already had three metro systems in operation, he added.

Khan said 25,000 people had applied to participate in the province’s electric taxi scheme, with loans approved for 743 applicants. Women accounted for 30 per cent of the electric taxis, he said.

He added that 44 vehicle emission testing centres had been established across Punjab, including 18 in Lahore, where the number was expected to rise to 35.

The government was also working to relocate two or three bus and transport terminals outside Lahore in collaboration with the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), he said.