Lahore (Tassawar News): The government of Punjab has enacted a stringent new policy, mandating decisive legal proceedings, including the immediate registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), against property holders found to be leasing their premises to foreign nationals without undergoing requisite official verification. This unequivocal directive was the principal outcome of the sixth consecutive high-level deliberation on law and order, a forum chaired by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Ms. Maryam Nawaz Sharif, specifically convened to address the province’s internal security apparatus and enhance public safety measures.
According to authoritative sources within the official machinery, the Chief Minister underscored the administration’s zero-tolerance policy towards any rental agreements involving non-Pakistani nationals that bypass established verification procedures. To enforce this mandate with optimal rigour, she issued specific instructions demanding the daily submission of comprehensive reports detailing all properties—encompassing residential houses, commercial shops, industrial factories, hospitality establishments, and fuel stations—that have been leased or otherwise provided to foreign individuals. This data collection mechanism is designed to ensure granular oversight over the housing and employment patterns of foreign residents across the province.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the government would not countenance unverified property rentals to foreigners, and subsequently directed that daily, meticulous reports be submitted concerning all categories of properties, including houses, shops, factories, hotels, or petrol pumps, currently being leased to any non-Pakistani national. This requirement institutionalises a high degree of administrative vigilance.
Enhancing Accountability and Grassroots Mobilisation
The meeting introduced a robust structure for hyper-local accountability to ensure the effective implementation of the new policy. The responsibility for the proactive identification and reporting of any properties rented to foreign nationals was officially delegated to key grassroots and administrative functionaries: patwaris (land record officers), nambardars (village headmen), and station house officers (SHOs). By engaging these local authorities, the government aims to leverage deep community knowledge and local administrative infrastructure for security purposes.
Furthermore, a decision was formalised to initiate a comprehensive, province-wide field survey across all administrative districts. The primary objective of this expansive exercise is the systematic identification of all unregistered foreign residents, thereby ensuring uncompromising adherence to both national legislation and extant immigration regulations. In a related measure to bolster the regulatory framework, the provincial administration also resolved to take prompt and definitive legal action against all individuals engaged in employment within Pakistan whose visit visas have expired or who are operating without valid, authorised employment permits.
Confirming the administration’s resolve, a senior government official, speaking post-meeting, stated: “Any individual discovered to be renting out property to unverified foreign nationals will be subjected to the full force of legal consequences.” This statement serves as a clear deterrence to non-compliance.
Technological Integration and Humanitarian Protocols
Officials provided the Chief Minister with a detailed update on the logistical preparations accompanying the ongoing national security drive. They confirmed the operational establishment of 45 dedicated holding centres strategically located throughout Punjab. These centres have been primarily configured to facilitate the necessary documentation and the orderly repatriation process for unregistered foreign residents. Crucially, these facilities are tasked with providing essential amenities, including temporary accommodation, sustenance, and transportation logistics, for those individuals being returned to their respective countries via the designated Torkham border crossing.
To enhance the precision and effectiveness of the verification process, authorities reported the deployment of cutting-edge facial recognition technology. This sophisticated system is being used to accurately identify and verify the identity of residents during the ongoing field survey, significantly reducing the potential for human error and enhancing the integrity of the collected data.
The security review also encompassed an assessment of the continuing, province-wide campaign targeting illegal weaponry, a drive which has successfully resulted in a significant number of recoveries. Citizens were actively encouraged to utilise the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell (CCD) to confidentially report the possession of illegal arms or any other suspicious activities, thereby institutionalising public participation in the security mechanism. Moreover, the briefing highlighted the identification of social media operatives engaged in the promotion of content related to proscribed or extremist organisations, confirming that appropriate legal action against these individuals is currently in process. In a move that balances security with social function, a number of religious seminaries (madaris) that had been temporarily sealed have now begun to reopen under strict administrative supervision, following the successful completion of all required verifications and adherence to safety and registration protocols.
The Imperative of Balanced Enforcement
In her concluding directives, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz imparted a critical instruction to the law enforcement agencies. She stressed the paramount importance of ensuring that the enforcement drives are executed with unassailable judicial fairness, directing that accountability be strictly limited to genuine offenders. She issued an emphatic warning against any form of overreach or indiscriminate action that might result in the harassment or undue persecution of innocent members of the public.
The Chief Minister articulated a crucial balance between security and justice: “Hold the responsible individuals accountable, but it is absolutely incumbent upon you to ensure that no innocent person is affected during the execution of this drive.”
The session concluded with the Chief Minister reaffirming the Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to meticulously maintaining law and order, ensuring comprehensive legal compliance, and safeguarding the fundamental rights of all citizens, all while rigorously upholding the integrity of Pakistan’s national security framework. This dual emphasis on security enforcement and the protection of civil liberties defines the administration’s stated approach to internal governance.
Conclusion
The Punjab government’s latest security directives, spearheaded by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, signify a substantive shift toward a more rigorous and technologically-aided approach to internal security, particularly concerning the residency and documentation of foreign nationals. By assigning accountability for verification to local functionaries (patwaris, nambardars, and SHOs) and threatening property owners with FIRs, the administration has attempted to institutionalise security monitoring down to the grassroots level. The simultaneous implementation of holding centres and the deployment of advanced facial recognition technology underscore a commitment to both the humanitarian and systematic aspects of the repatriation and verification process. The final instruction, which mandates that enforcement be conducted without harassing innocent citizens, is critical, as the long-term success of this policy will depend not only on its efficiency in addressing security concerns but also on its ability to maintain public trust and uphold the rule of law.
