LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has decided to launch a crackdown against individuals making fake, hoax, and irrelevant calls to the emergency helpline 15.

According to a PSCA spokesperson, cases will be registered against those involved in misuse of the 15 helpline, while authorities have also identified top 150 hoax callers and formally initiated legal proceedings against them.

The spokesperson said unnecessary calls kept the helpline engaged, which hindered timely assistance for citizens in genuine emergencies.

During April 2026, more than 724,000 hoax and irrelevant calls were received on the helpline, creating a highly alarming situation.

He said PSCA was making callback warnings to nearly 200 irrelevant callers every month in order to create awareness and promote responsible use of service among citizens.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2026