The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has launched a crackdown on individuals making fake, hoax, and irrelevant calls to the 15 Emergency Helpline, officials said on Tuesday.
According to a PSCA spokesperson, authorities have identified the top 150 habitual hoax callers and initiated legal proceedings against them. Cases will also be registered against individuals found misusing the emergency service.
Officials said that unnecessary and fake calls keep the emergency helpline engaged, which can delay response times for citizens facing real emergencies. They added that the misuse of the service is creating serious operational challenges for emergency response teams.
Data shared by the authority shows that in April 2026 alone, the 15 Helpline received more than 724,000 hoax and irrelevant calls.
To address the issue, PSCA has also started issuing callback warnings to around 200 callers every month as part of an awareness effort aimed at promoting responsible use of the service.
The spokesperson emphasized that Helpline 15 is a free emergency facility and warned that misuse is a punishable offence under the law.
PSCA urged citizens to use the helpline only in genuine emergency situations to ensure timely assistance for those in distress. Authorities further said the emergency response system remains fully operational 24/7 with the support of modern surveillance and communication technology.
