Punjab to Introduce Drone Policing, Tighten Arms Control to Curb Smuggling
By Tanveer Ahmed :
The Punjab government has announced plans to introduce new legislation focusing on drone policing, integrated security, and arms regulation as part of a province-wide effort to curb illegal weapons and smuggling.
The decision was made during the fourth meeting on law and order, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, where several major reforms were approved to make Punjab a weapon-free province.
Under the new framework, the government will launch the Punjab Surrender of Illegal Arms Act 2025, which will be implemented in three stages — surrender of weapons, destruction of recovered arms, and enforcement of updated laws.
The initiative includes a comprehensive re-verification of approximately one million licensed firearms across the province. Illegal arms holders have been instructed to hand over their weapons within 15 days, while both the owners and issuers of weapon licences will undergo verification.
The meeting also agreed that holders of federal arms licences in Punjab will be subject to scrutiny, with the provincial government coordinating with federal authorities for authentication.
The provincial administration decided that only police officers and registered security guards will be permitted to carry firearms. All private security firms will be brought under a new registration system with stricter regulations. In addition, private guards will be digitally linked to the Punjab Police Helpline 15, and a dedicated unit will be established to manage and monitor related activities.
A pilot project for drone policing will soon be launched in Lahore to ensure swift and organised responses to crimes and emergencies. Drones will be deployed to reach crime scenes immediately after an incident is reported, enabling law enforcement to track suspects in real time. Once proven effective, the system will be expanded across the province.
To strengthen border security, the government plans to install modern weapon scanners at 14 key entry and exit points in Punjab. The authorities decided that arms smuggling will carry a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, while the annual licence renewal fee will be doubled to discourage the spread of weapons.
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