LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched free internet service (wifi hotspot) at over 200 points in five cities of the province.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif formally opened the free internet service for Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Murree at a ceremony held at Arfa Kareem Software Technology Park by pressing a button here on Wednesday.

He termed the service a step towards digitalising the province.

He said the old system of patwaris had been replaced with the Land Record Information Management System to the relief of the people. “The credit for the project launched with the cooperation of the World Bank goes to the Punjab government team.”

Shahbaz said all police stations had also been computerised and FIR registration process made paper free and difficult to manipulate. He lauded former IGP Mushtaq Sukhera’s role in the police stations computerisation and hoped that the new IGP would carry on his legacy.

He recalled the positive use of IT for dengue epidemic control and termed it a great lesson to follow the model in all fields of life. The chief minister said new campus of the IT University would be established on Bedian Road within a year.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017