Punjab deploys over 124,000 police personnel, cyber patrolling units for Muharram security

LAHORE: The Punjab government has deployed over 124,000 police personnel alongside military and paramilitary forces for Muharram security.

The provincial government has also deployed a high-tech surveillance grid that includes cyber patrolling, QR-coded panic buttons, and anti-smog equipment.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took direct operational command of the Muharram security deployment during a visit to the Provincial Intelligence Centre on Wednesday.

She reviewed real-time monitoring system ahead of Ashura.

The provincial government has established a centralised intelligence framework linking deputy commissioners and district police chiefs across all territories via digital networks.

“We have activated an advanced security network across Punjab. The civil administration, intelligence agencies, police, and other law enforcement entities are functioning on a single page,” Sharif told a briefing of the cabinet committee on law and order.

To counter sectarian friction, a specialised digital media wing has initiated cyber patrolling to block or throttle incendiary digital content.

Provincial authorities said that the cell has already flagged and reported more than 6,000 objectionable social media accounts and pages to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for immediate termination this month.

The meeting was told that a long-term evolution (LTE) communication architecture has been activated across various districts to ensure uninterrupted government data lines and coordination even in the event of standard cellular network shutdowns.

Authorities have installed 4,836 QR-coded panic buttons at Imambargahs (to provide a direct link to emergency responders for off-grid or remote locations.

The provincial government has invoked Section 144, imposing a total ban on the use of commercial drones, the display of weapons, wall-chalking, unauthorized loudspeaker use, and rooftop access along designated procession routes. Pillion riding on motorcycles will also be restricted on the 9th and 10th days of Muharram.

To counter intense seasonal heat waves and dust, municipal authorities have deployed specialized anti-smog water cannons to damp down procession routes, alongside establishing dedicated cold-water distribution stations.

The home secretary confirmed that the cabinet committee on law and order has completed strategic assessments across all nine provincial divisions.

A multi-agency framework including emergency services (Rescue 1122), the health department, civil defense, and local government bodies will remain deployed in the field through the conclusion of the religious period.