LAHORE – Punjab has launched a digital monitoring system for major shrines across the province, with Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Chaudhry Shafay Hussain inaugurating a state-of-the-art Command and Control Room at the Auqaf House in Lahore.
Under the first phase of the initiative, four shrines each in Lahore and Multan are being monitored digitally through the newly established control room.
The second phase will expand the system to eight more shrines across Punjab, officials said.
Following the inauguration, the provincial minister reviewed the digital monitoring process through the Command and Control Room. Senior officials, including Auqaf Secretary Dr Ehsan Bhutta, the additional secretary, the director general of religious affairs and directors of the Auqaf Organisation, were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain described the establishment of the modern Command and Control Room as a significant step towards improving the management and security of shrines across the province.
He said the facility would eventually be used to digitally monitor shrines throughout Punjab. Modern surveillance cameras have been installed at the control room, while the minister directed officials to link the monitored shrines with the relevant police stations.
He also ordered the provision of reliable internet services at the control room to ensure uninterrupted monitoring.
The minister said the digitisation of the Auqaf Department’s operations was also under way, including the digital mapping and record-keeping of all Auqaf properties.
He said digitising Auqaf land would help identify and recover properties occupied illegally, stressing that every inch of Auqaf land would be retrieved from encroachers.
Chaudhry Shafay praised Auqaf Secretary Dr Ehsan Bhutta and his team for their efforts to introduce reforms in the department. He said their work had improved the department’s operations and contributed to a significant increase in its revenue.
Dr Bhutta briefed the minister on the Command and Control Room and the reforms introduced in the department.
He said the control room was operational around the clock and that its staff would work in three shifts. The personnel assigned to the facility had also been provided with specialised training for one week, he added.
