Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become the first province in Pakistan to launch an integrated 911 emergency response service, providing citizens with a single helpline to access multiple emergency services around the clock.
The Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Helpline (PHEL) 911 was officially inaugurated by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Tariq Saeed Marwat. Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs Ikramullah Khan and National Telecommunication Corporation Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Ali Farhan also attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Marwat said the 911 initiative was originally launched by former prime minister Imran Khan in April 2022 as a nationwide project but was suspended in February 2024. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had now become the first province to operationalise a comprehensive and integrated emergency helpline, which also supports an SOS feature.
Initially, the service will connect callers to the police, Rescue 1122, domestic violence support services, tourist assistance and natural disaster response. The government plans to integrate additional emergency services in the future.
Project Director Rifaqat Khan said trial operations began in March this year and the system had received around 4.7 million calls by June 15. However, he noted that a significant number of these were prank or unnecessary calls.
He said the helpline would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and urged the public to use the service responsibly so that emergency responders could assist people in genuine need without delay.
Officials said the integrated 911 service is expected to improve emergency response coordination, save lives and strengthen public confidence in government services.
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