Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday approved a series of province-wide fire safety measures, including the establishment of a dedicated Fire Inspectorate Unit within Rescue 1122, to prevent fire-related incidents and strengthen emergency preparedness.

Chairing a high-level meeting on fire prevention, the chief minister ordered the installation of water hydrants at 1,197 locations across Lahore and eight other divisions.

She also made it mandatory for all multi-storey and commercial buildings to install firefighting equipment, external emergency evacuation staircases and conduct regular safety drills.

CM Maryam directed authorities to seal buildings found violating fire safety regulations. She said strict enforcement was essential to protect lives and property, stressing that negligence would not be tolerated.

Expressing grief over the Gul Plaza fire tragedy in Karachi, the chief minister offered Punjab’s cooperation to the Sindh government.

Referring to a recent hotel fire in Lahore, she said timely response had averted major losses. She ordered hotel owners to pay Rs10 million each in compensation to the families of those who lost their lives.

During the meeting, the chief minister also led the first artificial intelligence (AI) training session for provincial ministers.

She announced plans to advance digital governance in Punjab and make the use of AI mandatory in schools.

In addition, approval was granted for the establishment of stroke management centres in every district of the province to ensure timely treatment for stroke patients.