An agreement was signed between the Punjab government and Chinese company Huawei regarding Punjab Safe Cities Project on Friday.
Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the chief guest of the signing ceremony held in Model Town. Punjab Safe Cities Authority Chief Operating Officer Akbar Nasir Khan and Huawei Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Meng Xiaojie signed the document.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that the agreement between the Punjab government and Chinese company Huawei regarding Safe Cities Project was a milestone in the history of the province. He said that the project to be started in Lahore after Islamabad would be state-of-the-art.
He said this project was aimed at modernising the system of security and protection of life and property of the citizens. He said the project would also play an important role in dealing with any emergent situation caused due to activities of anti-social elements, thieves, dacoits and terrorists.
Sharif said the Safe Cities Project was the most important project for the protection of citizens as well as meeting the challenges of terrorism, extremism and street crime. He said the first phase of the project would be completed this year whereas the project would be fully functional within a year. He said that after the completion of the third phase, its scope would be extended to the whole city.
The chief minister said that under the project, latest cameras would be installed while a command and control centre was also being established. He said that vehicles equipped with modern equipment were also a part of the project.
Sharif said that after Lahore, work would be started simultaneously on Safe Cities Project in four other cities of Punjab, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan. He said that all these projects would be completed before the completion of the tenure of the present government. He said the project was based on latest technology and equipment for the protection of future generation against crime.
The CM said that the Islamabad Safe City Project which was inherited from the former government had also been successfully furthered by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and this project was moving towards completion under the supervision of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Sharif said that bidding for the project was held in a very transparent manner and the best companies of the world took part in it. He said that negotiations were held successfully with the lowest bidding company Huawei and a further amount of Rs four billion was saved.
