The Punjab government has banned smart glasses and other everyday gadgets fitted with hidden cameras or recording equipment, the provincial Home Department said on Monday. The smart glasses ban in Pakistan's most populous province also covers pens, watches and eyeglasses, and officials say the aim is to protect citizens' privacy. Anyone found using, buying or selling such devices will face strict legal action, the department said.
What the ban covers and why
The Home Department's statement describes the banned items as spying devices, including glasses, pens, watches and other gadgets with hidden cameras or recording equipment. A department spokesperson said strict legal action would be taken against the use, sale and purchase of spy equipment and covert electronic devices. The stated goal is to protect citizens' privacy and personal information, with a particular focus on women and children.
The department said it had received complaints in recent weeks of illegal surveillance, harassment and blackmail carried out through such devices. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said recording and releasing content at will had become a habit, and asked who had given people that authority. The Punjab spy devices ban comes against a wider concern about the unregulated import and sale of camera- and microphone-equipped devices, which can record people without their knowledge.
Court case and next steps
The issue is also before the courts. The Lahore High Court is hearing a public interest petition, filed by a citizen last month, against the unregulated import and sale of smart glasses with cameras and microphones. The petitioner argued that commercial interests and user convenience should not override the constitutional rights of people who may be recorded without consent.
Punjab Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi said a formal notification would be issued within a few days. Officials said they announced the decision in advance so that people would have time to dispose of prohibited items. The Home Department described the move as a decision already taken, while the formal notification is still to come, so the exact legal scope will become clearer once it is issued.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Last month: a citizen filed a petition in the Lahore High Court against the unregulated sale of smart glasses, and the court is now hearing it.
- Monday: the Punjab Home Department announced a ban on spy devices with hidden cameras and recording equipment.
- Within a few days: Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi said a formal notification will be issued.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab government ne hidden camera wali cheezon par pabandi ka elaan kiya hai, jin mein smart glasses, pen aur watch shamil hain. Ye faisla logon ki privacy aur khaas tor par khawateen aur bachon ki hifazat ke liye kiya gaya hai. In cheezon ka istemal, khareed ya farokht karne par sakht qanooni karwai hogi. Rasmi notification chand dinon mein aane ki ummeed hai, is liye agar aap ke paas aisi cheez hai to ehtiyat karein.
