Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday announced plans to extend the Safe Smart Cities project to every tehsil and union council of the province and install another 1,500 panic buttons at police stations and prominent public places. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Punjab Integrated Safe City Network on Independence Day, the chief minister congratulated the nation and said the launch of safe city networks across all districts of Punjab on Aug 14 was an honour. “Seeing the bright faces and courageous children gives me confidence that Punjab is moving forward. We will never let any harm come to them,” she said. CM Punjab said it was encouraging to see children from far-flung areas such as Rajanpur’s Rojhan and Haroonabad serving as police communication officers. She said Punjab was leading in technology, smart policing and predictive policing. “Today, when I look at the Safe City Authority, I bow my head in gratitude to Allah,” she said, adding that an effective digital system was operating for the public through the emergency helpline 15. The chief minister acknowledged the contribution of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Safe City project, describing him as her uncle, mentor and founder of the Safe City initiative. “It would be unfair not to give Shehbaz Sharif credit for the Safe City Authority. He created the path of Safe City on which we have reached here today,” she said. Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz said that, by the grace of Allah, every district of Punjab had been transformed into a safe city in the past two and a half years. “Having the entire Punjab visible on a single screen is no ordinary achievement,” she said, adding that Punjab had emerged as a national leader in technology-driven safety and security. She said AI-based systems, smart surveillance