Punjab equips Civil Defence, Rescue 1122 with modern equipment worth Rs500 million

The Punjab government has strengthened its emergency response and public safety infrastructure by inducting modern equipment worth Rs500 million for Punjab Civil Defence and Rescue 1122

LAHORE, July 15: The Punjab government has strengthened its emergency response and public safety infrastructure by inducting modern equipment worth Rs500 million for Punjab Civil Defence and Rescue 1122, in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision of creating a “Safe Punjab.”

The newly acquired equipment was showcased during an exhibition and live demonstration held at the Civil Secretariat, where Provincial Minister for Health and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique inspected the latest technology.

The event was also attended by Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi, Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer, Director Civil Defence Tasneem Ali Khan, senior officials from the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), and other government representatives.

During the briefing, Director Civil Defence Tasneem Ali Khan informed participants that the advanced equipment had been procured on the directions of the chief minister to enhance the operational capabilities of Civil Defence and Rescue 1122.

The newly inducted equipment includes airlift drones, bomb disposal robots, anti-drone guns, electric sirens, bomb disposal suits, bomb blankets, mine detectors, snake cameras, automatic loading stretchers, spine boards, chipping hammers, angle grinders, fire hoses, oxygen cylinders, and fire extinguishers.

Officials said the modern airlift drones are capable of rescuing stranded individuals from difficult and inaccessible locations and can lift loads of up to 200 kilograms, significantly improving rescue operations during emergencies.

A special meeting with newly recruited members of the Civil Defence Bomb Disposal Squad was also held during the ceremony. On the occasion, Punjab Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen institutional coordination.

Under the agreement, Punjab Civil Defence handed over modern rescue equipment worth Rs85.5 million to Rescue 1122 to further enhance its emergency response capacity.

Addressing the ceremony, Khawaja Salman Rafique said Pakistan was founded on an ideology that united the nation and stressed that safeguarding the country was a collective responsibility.

He said the Punjab government had accelerated efforts to modernise Civil Defence following recent Pakistan-India tensions, adding that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed authorities to significantly improve the department’s operational capacity.

The minister said Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 play a vital role in protecting lives and property, adding that the bomb disposal squad was being strengthened through modern equipment and fresh recruitment.

He appreciated the support of NRTC and other partner organisations for their role in improving emergency preparedness.

Khawaja Salman Rafique also announced that the chief minister had conferred honorary titles on Civil Defence volunteers in recognition of their services. He revealed that more than 350,000 citizens had so far registered as Civil Defence volunteers across Punjab and that all volunteers were receiving Basic Life Support (BLS) training to improve emergency response skills.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said the provincial government was transforming the Civil Defence Resilience Corps to meet modern-day security and disaster management challenges.

He emphasised that Civil Defence remains equally important during both peace and wartime, describing it as the frontline support system for district administrations during emergencies. He also urged citizens to join Civil Defence as volunteers according to their abilities.

Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer thanked the Punjab chief minister and provincial government for providing Rescue 1122 with modern equipment.

He said Rescue 1122 responds to more than 7,000 emergencies every day and has, over the years, saved countless lives while preventing financial losses worth billions of rupees through timely emergency response.

The ceremony concluded with officials encouraging citizens to register as Civil Defence volunteers through the department’s online portal. Senior officials, including Special Secretary Home Zainab Khan, Special Secretary Home Faisal Farid, Deputy Managing Director NRTC Brigadier Raja Muhammad Asghar, Regional General Manager Central Brigadier Zahid Mahmood, and General Manager Defence Division Colonel Sanaullah, also attended the event.