Punjab approves High Security Zones Bill 2026

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs has approved the High Security Zones Establishment Bill 2026, granting the government the authority to designate certain areas as high-security zones to ensure public safety and maintain law and order.

The High Security Zones Establishment Bill 2026, passed during a committee meeting in Lahore, empowers the government to impose restrictions on activities deemed harmful to public safety, including public gatherings, protests, and other events that could threaten security. Officials said the legislation aims to provide a legal framework for organizing and managing public assemblies while safeguarding citizens.

In the same session, the committee also unanimously approved the Punjab Waqf, Trusts, and Cooperative Societies Monitoring Bill 2026. The bill seeks to establish a robust oversight system for waqf properties, trusts, and cooperative societies in Punjab, promoting transparency, accountability, and improved administrative management.

Under the new legislation, records of actual owners or beneficiaries of properties and assets will be maintained accurately. The bill also proposes the creation of a commission or monitoring mechanism to oversee these institutions and ensure cooperation, thereby strengthening governance and accountability.

Both bills are expected to enhance public safety, regulatory oversight, and institutional transparency across the province.

Punjab govt to transform CCD 

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved a major overhaul of the Crime Control Department (CCD), upgrading it into a premier investigation agency to strengthen crime prevention and improve public trust.

The government announced that the CCD’s mandate will be significantly expanded, following the model of the world’s top five crime control agencies. The department will be equipped with modern forensic tools, advanced investigative capabilities, AI software, intelligence surveillance systems, and state-of-the-art machinery, making it the most technologically advanced law enforcement body in Pakistan.

The Chief Minister has also approved the development of a fully equipped CCD headquarters, while offices, stations, and residential facilities will be established in every division, district, and tehsil across Punjab. Officers will have access to the latest monitoring tools to track criminals and ensure more effective law enforcement.