Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar Addresses National Assembly, Discusses Key Developments and Safety Initiatives

Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar addresses the National Assembly, discussing Smart City developments in Islamabad, Safe City projects, and anti-drug initiatives across Pakistan.

Significant Projects Underway in Islamabad, Including Smart City Features and Anti-Drug Efforts

Reporter Details: October 25, 2024, Imtiaz Ali Abbasi, Posted by: The largest English Digital News Network

Islamabad: During a recent National Assembly session, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar provided extensive updates on various development projects, safety initiatives, and anti-drug efforts taking place across Pakistan, with a focus on Islamabad and other major cities.

The minister confirmed that development work in Sector I-16 is ongoing, with plans for electric buses to connect this sector to the metro station on the N-5 Highway by January 2025. He added that the metro service already operates across Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and the airport, and highlighted the federal cabinet’s submission of a comprehensive Master Plan for Islamabad in January. “The world is moving towards smart cities,” Tarar stated, emphasizing that Islamabad, as a Safe City, should incorporate advanced features like those in other major international smart cities.

Minister Tarar also shared details of the upcoming "My Islamabad" application, aimed at providing citizens with easy access to various services. The federal government is seeking international consultants through an open tender process to help implement this vision.

Addressing safety issues, the minister stated that Safe City projects are operational in Islamabad and Lahore, playing a vital role in crime prevention and counter-terrorism efforts. Citing past successes, Tarar said, "In Lahore, Safe City cameras were instrumental in apprehending facilitators of a suicide bomber." He further confirmed that Safe City projects are urgently needed in Peshawar and Karachi, with federal support available to both provincial governments.

In the anti-narcotics domain, the Minister reported collaborations with international agencies across the U.S., U.K., Iran, Turkey, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The government has signed 37 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation on narcotics control, and joint training programs are in place with foreign agencies. To address drug issues locally, awareness campaigns have been introduced in schools and universities, with plans to extend these to all provinces. Tarar stated, “Parents and students both play a role in the fight against drug abuse.”

Discussing the establishment of an Inter-Agency Task Force, Tarar highlighted the task force’s role in anti-drug operations in collaboration with provincial governments. He also noted that special investigators are available in the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for focused drug trafficking investigations, and that ANF police stations are operational in every province.

In closing, the minister emphasized the government's commitment to making a documentary on anti-drug trafficking, allocating a budget for this purpose, and shared that the ministry will launch awareness campaigns across all major TV channels starting next week.

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Keywords: Attaullah Tarar, National Assembly Pakistan, Islamabad Smart City, Safe City Project, Anti-Drug Efforts