Punjab faces threats thru tri-border area, says Maryam

• Says AI incorporated into province’s security system; sees 70pc drop in crime
• Opposition slams CM’s remarks, seeks apology

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has claimed security situation has improved considerably with the use of technology, yet the province faced a greater security threat coming through its provincial borders.

Speaking at an AI technology event in Lahore on Saturday, the chief minister said riverine (katcha) areas had once become hubs of terrorism and crime, but the writ of the state has now been established there. “Terrorism enters Punjab from there. Everyone has their eyes on Punjab, but, thank God, Punjab is a safe province. The kind of threats we face come from all our provincial borders,” she said, adding that threats come from the tri-border area and neighbouring provinces.

“The unfortunate thing is that the threat Punjab faces comes less from my neighbouring countries and more from my neighbouring provinces,” she added.

Her remarks drew strong condemnation from the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), which demanded that she withdraw her remarks and apologise to the people of other provinces.

In her address, CM Maryam said security personnel had previously suffered heavy casualties in attacks on posts while militants possessed better weapons and night-vision equipment than police personnel.

She said joint check posts had since been strengthened and provided with bulletproof protection, thermal imaging equipment and night-vision cameras, reducing the risk of casualties in attacks.

She said artificial intelligence had been incorporated into the province’s security system within months with support from the Pakistan Army and other security institutions.

According to the chief minister, the establishment of an AI Intelligence Hub would enable district coordination committees to receive digital alerts, while security institutions were working as “one unit” to protect the public and maintain law and order.

She also said the overall security situation in Punjab had improved considerably. She claimed crime in the province had declined by up to 70 per cent and stressed that effective law enforcement remained essential alongside development projects.

She said groups had previously used religion to spread hatred, requiring police to divert resources to address such situations, while Muharram, Eid Miladun Nabi and other religious occasions had passed peacefully.

TTAP demands apology

Meanwhile, the TTAP strongly condemned CM Maryam’s remarks, terming them reflective of an “outdated mindset”.

TTAP spokesman Akhunzada Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai said both KP and Balochistan provinces had faced terrorism for decades and stressed that the need of the hour was to acknowledge mistakes in past policies, warning that such remarks could damage national unity and widen divisions among the people.

The alliance demanded that CM Maryam withdraw her remarks and apologise to the people of KP and Balochistan for hurting their sentiments.

Separately, the alliance Punjab chapter also condemned the chief minister’s remarks, describing them as “dangerous and divisive”.

TTAP Punjab chief organiser Ammar Ali Jan and information secretary Shayan Bashir criticised the remarks that seemed to be an attempt “to associate Pakistan’s provinces with terrorism”.

Also, PTI Central Informa­tion Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram strongly condemned the remarks, saying national security challenges should not be viewed through the narrow lens of provincial politics.

“Such selective political narratives are highly irresponsible, particularly at a time when terrorism remains a national challenge, with no part of the country completely safe from the threat,” he said in a statement issued by the party’s Central Media Department.

He said combating terrorism required unity, collective responsibility and cooperation among all federating units rather than attempts to pit one province against another.

Mr Akram accused the PML-N of pursuing policies that had contributed to divisions among provinces and said political leaders should take responsibility for addressing security challenges rather than shifting blame.

He said terrorism was a national threat that demanded a coordinated state response instead of political point-scoring or the vilification of any province.

The PTI leader alleged that CM Maryam’s remarks sought to shift blame towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and unfairly portray its people as a threat while overlooking the sacrifices made by the province and its residents in the fight against militancy.

He said Pakistan’s security challenges could not be addressed by blaming one province while ignoring broader national and regional factors.

Mansoor Malik in Lahore and Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026