Maryam to equip Punjab Police with Japanese-style infrared, ultrasonic technology

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has announced that Punjab Police will be equipped with advanced infrared and ultrasonic technology modelled on the Japanese policing system, with a pilot project to be launched in Lahore.

The chief minister made the announcement after visiting the National Police Crime Control Agency (NPCCA) head office in Tokyo, where she inspected various sections and was briefed on its role in supervising Japan’s police departments, including the Imperial Guards. The NPCCA formulates departmental policies and guides security institutions during emergencies and natural disasters.

Maryam said the new system would introduce advanced traffic management, accident control, and weather-warning mechanisms to improve public safety. She added that the Punjab government has already established a Crime Control Department to support the police, which she credited with reducing the province’s crime rate below 70 per cent for the first time. “The law and order situation in Punjab has improved significantly. We have streamlined policing on modern lines and given the force a free hand to perform professionally,” she said.

On the third day of her visit, she inspected Tokyo’s modern Traffic Control Centre. Officials briefed her on infrared technology, CCTV cameras, sensors, and real-time systems used for traffic monitoring, emergency response, and weather alerts. Maryam announced that Lahore will be developed as Punjab’s first AI-enabled smart city with a modern traffic management system, already funded under the annual development programme. She added that major cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad will be equipped with mass transit systems to ease congestion, while Safe City cameras and revamped roads will support traffic flow across Punjab.

During her official engagements in Tokyo, the CM also met Japan’s Senior State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miyaji Takuma, at the Japanese Foreign Office. Miyaji warmly welcomed her, congratulated her on becoming Punjab’s first female chief minister, and praised the launch of more than 120 development projects in the province.

Meeting Seishiro Eto, Chairman of Japan’s Parliamentarians’ Friendship League, she discussed strengthening parliamentary contacts and expanding cooperation in agriculture, industry, and manpower.

The CM also visited Tokyo’s historic Nihonbashi Bridge and the Metropolitan Expressway project being developed under public-private partnership.