Shehbaz Sharif Inaugurates Punjab Safe City Project

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Oct, 2016 ) : Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated Punjab Safe City Project (PSCP), a unique project of its kind in Pakistan and the biggest in Asia, here at Qurban Lines on Tuesday.

After inaugurating Integrated Command, Control and Communication Center of Punjab Safe Cities Authority, the Chief Minister said that first phase of Safe City Project had completed in a record period of time.

Punjab government started the project to provide crime-free and peaceful atmosphere to citizens, and Asia' biggest screen had been installed in Command and Control Center. Punjab government was working on PSCP with collaboration of a leading Chinese company Huawei.

Shehbaz Sharif hoped that Chinese company would operate this project as an example of hard work, honesty and transparency. Punjab, he added, was the first province where this kind of project had been inaugurated whereas federal government started Safe City Project in Islamabad six years ago which had now been completed.

He said, PSCP was four times bigger than that of Islamabad project, and Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan increased the number of cameras of Islamabad Safe City Project from 1500 to 2000 whereas 8000 cameras were being installed in Lahore under Punjab Safe City Project.

Huawei made the lowest bid of Rs 16 billion for PSCP, however, this amount was brought down to Rs 12 billion thus saving of Rs 4 billion of public money, he added. Contrary to this, he said, Islamabad Safe City Project is four times smaller and its agreement was signed for Rs 12 billion six years ago, adding that those leveling allegations of corruption should also remember transparency in this project.

Shehbaz Sharif said that a prominent international institution like World Economic Forum had acknowledged transparency set by federal and Punjab governments under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and also that corruption had reduced in Pakistan.

Political and administrative team of Punjab government, he said, was highly efficient and saving of Rs 4 billion was a proof to this fact. Chief Minister said that recruitments for Safe City Project had been made purely on merit and best training has been imparted.

He said that youth recruited for the project were witness to the fact that they had been selected on merit and it was hoped that they would spare no effort for success of this project. He said that monitoring of different areas was being carried out on the screens set up at Command & Control Center and a vigilant eye would be kept on criminal elements.

He said that in case of any incident of crime, an alarm would ring which would alert the concerned institution. He said that due to this step of Punjab government, Pakistan would become a safe, peaceful and prosperous country.

Shehbaz Sharif said that brave armed forces, police and the people of all segments of society had rendered supreme sacrifices in the war against terrorism and extremism and this project would play an important role in dealing with this problem.

The Chief Minister announced that Safe City Project would also be started in Multan, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Sargodha, and completed by end of 2017. First phase of Punjab Safe City Project, he said, had been completed in Lahore while its other phases would be completed by next year mid, which would help in surveillance of entire city with modern technology.

With PSCP implementation in seven cities, Punjab would emerge as a safe, prosperous and peaceful province. Shehbaz Sharif said that Chinese Consul General Yu Boren had extended commendable cooperation and Chinese company had completed first phase of the project in a professional manner.

He said, this project was also linked with China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on which work was being carried out expeditiously in all the four provinces. He said that World Bank and IMF commended Pakistan government with regard to completion of infrastructure, energy, transport and CPEC projects which was the best certificate Pakistan could achieve.

It was also a lesson for those who thought and spoke against public welfare and development projects for the people and tried to create hurdles in such projects, and nation would not let their attempts succeed.

Chief Minister said that more projects under CPEC were being set up in Sindh than Punjab and it was a matter of satisfaction that work was continuing on these projects in Sindh as well. He said that Orange Line Metro Train project had also been started with the funding of China and these funds were to be repaid by Punjab government to China.

Therefore, there was need to hold the interests of Pakistan uppermost. He said that Safe City Project was of vital importance for curbing extremism, terrorism, crime and the activities of anti-social elements, therefore, there was a need to make every effort for its success.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked Chinese Consul General Yu Boren, Chief Executive Officer Huawei Pakistan, Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Members of Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Chairman Planning & Development, Secretary Home, MD Punjab Safe City Authority, Chief Operating Officer Punjab Safe City Authority and officials concerned for completion of the first phase of the project.

Briefing the CM, Punjab Safe City Authority Chief Operating Officer Nisar Akbar said that dream of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been realized. Chinese Consul General Yu Boren said that due to personal efforts taken by Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the project had been implemented expeditiously and it was a milestone in Pak-China friendship.

He said that work was being carried out with speed and quality over CPEC project in Punjab as well as the whole country and implementation of Punjab Safe City Project would provide a safe and peaceful environment to the masses.

Chief Executive officer Huawei Company said that Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was extending full support for this project due to which its first phase had been completed. He said that screen set up at Command & Control Center was the largest of its kind in the world and first phase of project has been completed in a record period.

Punjab IGP Mushtaq Sukhera said that demands of security had changed with the passage of time, therefore, Punjab police was being equipped with modern technology. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Bilal Yasin, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Assembly Members, Chief Secretary and officers concerned were also present.