Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said Punjab faces a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries, pointing to terrorism crossing provincial borders.

Addressing the launch of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub in Lahore on Saturday, Maryam said the province was dealing with multiple security challenges, including terrorism, organised crime, ethnic and religious tensions and drug trafficking.

She stressed the need for closer coordination between federal and provincial law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, particularly through intelligence sharing and technology.

Maryam said Punjab had spent billions of rupees on modern security infrastructure. Measures include fortified checkposts, bulletproof surveillance cameras, thermal imaging systems and drones in vulnerable border areas.

She said the new AI Hub would support security agencies by combining intelligence, enabling real-time information sharing and identifying emerging threats and patterns.

The chief minister also discussed security operations in the Kaccha areas along the Punjab-Sindh border, saying joint efforts by the military and provincial governments had helped restore state control and reduce crime.

Maryam further claimed that overall crime in Punjab had declined by 70 percent since she became chief minister, while saying significant security challenges still remained.