LAHORE: Punjab home department has made it mandatory for all guesthouses to register with the “Hotel Eye” software to allow the government to track guests staying at private residential facilities in the province.

The home department has set June 15 as the deadline for registration with the “Hotel Eye” platform.

A home department spokesman says the decision has been taken to prevent terrorism, crime and illegal activities in the province.

In accordance with this decision, all private guesthouses across the province will be required to record the data of their guests in the “Hotel Eye” software, he added.

He said the digital verification of local and foreign residents would help curb crime in the province. The home department has launched an online portal, “http://hoteleye.punjab.gov.pk” to facilitate the registration of all guesthouses and residential service providers, officially commencing the registration process, he said.

He added that the guests who book residential spaces through international online booking applications like Airbnb, Booking.com and Hotels.com etc will also be required to get registered with the system upon their arrival. He said the guesthouses failing to comply with the directions, will have to face legal action under the Punjab Information of Temporary Residence Act, 2015.

Previously, only registered hotels in Punjab were connected to the “Hotel Eye” software, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2025