Punjab govt launches Counter Narcotics Force

LAHORE: The government of Punjab has launched provincial Counter Narcotics Force on Tuesday, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony in Lahore, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said establishment of this Narcotics Force is essential to eliminate the scourge of drugs.

Maryam Nawaz vowed that every possible step will be taken to make the province drug-free and announced a policy of zero tolerance against drug dealers saying there is no place for them in the province.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister inspected the parade and presented the flag to an officer of the Punjab Counter-Narcotics Force.

Earlier, in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision for a digitally connected Punjab, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) significantly expanded its public Wi-Fi initiative, doubling its coverage across the province.

According to PSCA officials, the number of free Wi-Fi access points in Lahore alone has risen from 230 to 430.

The service, previously available in 11 districts, now spans 22, including key areas such as Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Attock, Hasan Abdal, Sahiwal, Okara, and Murree.

This expansion follows a recent series of upgrades aimed at improving internet accessibility across both urban and semi-urban regions.

As part of this initiative, Gujrat city was recently added to the growing public Wi-Fi network.

Data from the PSCA reveals that more than 37.22 million users have benefitted from the free service to date, consuming over 905 terabytes of data. These figures underscore the rising demand for reliable and accessible internet in public spaces.