Rs300 billion set aside for law and order maintenance

Express Tribune

2 days ago

The Punjab government has allocated Rs300 billion for law and order in its budget for the fiscal year 2025–26.
The announcement marks one of the largest-ever investments in internal security in the province's history, with emphasis on technology-driven policing, prison reform and the establishment of specialised crime-fighting institutions.
More than Rs200 billion of the total allocation has been reserved for non-development expenditures, primarily covering operational costs and salaries for police across Punjab.
Meanwhile, over Rs10 billion will be spent on development schemes in the police, prisons and Rescue 1122 sectors.
A highlight of this year's budget is the establishment of the Crime Control Department (CCD) tasked with investigating heinous and organised crimes across the province. The CCD will be headquartered in Lahore and will receive a total Rs6.54 billion. This includes Rs3.24 billion under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the construction of its state-of-the-art headquarters and investigative facilities, while another Rs3.3 billion is earmarked for staffing, logistics and operations.
The government has rolled out a plan to upgrade police infrastructure, with Rs600 million allocated for the renovation and modernisation of police stations across all districts. Additionally, Rs734.7 million has been allocated to bolster the Police Training School in Rawalpindi, while the Specialised Protection Unit (SPU) headquarters in Lahore will receive Rs797.2 million.
To improve crowd control and tactical response capabilities, Rs382 million has been approved for the establishment of an Anti-Riot Headquarters in Lahore. Meanwhile, construction of new administrative facilities and residences is under way, including Rs450 million for the DPO office and residence in Murree, Rs350 million for investigation offices in Mandi Bahauddin and Rs280 million for officers' residences in Lahore.
Emergency services under Rescue 1122 are set for expansion, with Rs508 million allocated for current and new initiatives. The Emergency Services Academy in Lahore will undergo a Rs352 million upgrade to improve training capacity, while two new rescue stations will be developed in Gujrat's Mangowali and Kathala Chowk areas at a cost of Rs291.8 million.
Furthermore, Rs50 million will support Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTS) in rural areas, aiming to bridge emergency response gaps in under-served regions of Punjab.
The government plans to significantly invest in the surveillance and command-and-control systems through its Smart Safe Cities and Tehsil Project. The Lahore Safe City initiative will be revamped with Rs1.2 billion to install high-resolution cameras and AI-based threat detection tools.
To complete Smart Safe Cities in 19 additional districts, Rs2.54 billion has been earmarked, while Rs5.8 billion will fund the CM's Tehsil Project, which brings surveillance infrastructure to high-crime divisions across the province.
The flagship Lahore Prisons Complex will receive Rs6 billion for construction of a modern correctional facility featuring vocational training, rehabilitation programmes and high-security zones. Another Rs4.8 billion will go toward building a new district jail in Sialkot with a capacity of 1,500 inmates.
For ongoing prison infrastructure improvements, Rs674.5 million has been allocated for staff accommodations and inmate reintegration initiatives.
Additional funds include Rs65.6 million for the expansion of Child Protection Units in eight districts and Rs1.17 billion for establishing inter-provincial joint checkpoints at key locations like Attock and Bhakkar to counter crime and smuggling across the provincial border.