Punjab starts installing panic buttons in women’s colleges, universities

LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has begun installing panic buttons in women’s educational institutions to enhance privacy and security for female students.

According to a PSCA spokesperson, installation has been completed in 39 women’s colleges and universities in Lahore in the first phase. The facility will be extended in phases to 450 women’s colleges across Punjab.

In case of an emergency, students can press the panic button to immediately alert police. The alert will be received at the PSCA’s control room, triggering a rapid response from the Virtual Women Police Station. The spokesperson said that panic button facilities are already available at 101 locations across Punjab, including 122 key points in Lahore.

Biometric identification of unclaimed bodies

Meanwhile the “Meri Pehchaan” team has launched biometric identification of unclaimed bodies at mortuaries in Lahore, ensuring that no body remains unidentified or unclaimed for years.

The team has so far completed biometric verification of 1,240 bodies from government and private morgues, and handed over 805 to their families.

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The team has also identified 1,359 missing or mentally challenged individuals living in old-age homes and welfare institutions, reuniting 736 with their families.

The system, linked with the National Database and Registration Authority, uses fingerprint verification for quick identification.

Meri Pehchaan Centre In-charge Jamil Ahmed said that the biometric verification has been completed on over 1,350 lost-and-found cases, with more than 750 people reunited with their families.

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The process is also being carried out at Edhi centres. According to Edhi Foundation Lahore head Faisal Jalal, the organisation has been running this process since 2024, and identified nearly 1,200 individuals and handed over about 900 bodies to their heirs.

Safe Cities officials said facial recognition technology is also being used to help identify unclaimed bodies.

Enforcement of helmet laws

Meanwhile, Punjab’s traffic police have intensified enforcement of helmet laws. The PSCA warned that negligence on the road was not only life-threatening for bikers but also for others.

According to the Punjab Deputy Inspector General (traffic), helmet violation enforcement has increased by 80 per cent across the province.

In August alone, he said, 130,000 riders were issued challans for not wearing helmets, including over 85,000 in Lahore, 10,000 in Faisalabad, 6,600 in Rawalpindi, 5,000 in Multan, and 2,700 in Sialkot.

The crackdown is part of an awareness campaign jointly run by HUM Network, Shell Pakistan, and the Punjab traffic police to highlight the importance of road safety and compliance with traffic laws.