ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved a project to extend the surveillance coverage of the Safe City Project to approximately 90 per cent area of the federal capital for Rs7.4 billion, Dawn has learnt.
The amount mentioned in PC-I includes Rs7.23 billion for technology cost, Rs13.6 million for staff salaries, Rs31.164m for utilities expenses, Rs144.68m for consultancy, Rs1.4m for ISP connectivity, and Rs74.25m for contingency.
The Islamabad Safe City Project was launched in 2016 for Rs6 billion and transferred to the Islamabad police in 2019. The existing project was planned to cover 13 police stations, but it has now been decided to expand its coverage to 28 police stations. The upgraded surveillance systems, with state-of-the-art sensors, high-resolution cameras, and advanced analytics capabilities, will allow law enforcement agencies to closely track high-crime areas with efficiency and accuracy.
The existing system needs to be upgraded because it is approaching its shelf life. The video management system is fragmented with multiple outdated technologies and 80pc of the system is approaching the end of its life. It is critical to replace these with a unified video management system for seamless integration across all cameras and projects. A unified system will improve surveillance, streamline operations, enhance integration with other security and traffic systems and ensure long-term functionality.
Decision aims to replace outdated technology, ensure ‘high-quality surveillance’
Currently, there is partial functionality in the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) system with Huawei cameras, but significant gaps exist in violation detection, the e-challan system and integration across different ANPR devices.
The existing facial recognition system is also nearing the end of its life, often malfunctioning, and is without integration for real-time blacklisting. Its replacement will facilitate faster identification and law enforcement action.
The data centre is predominantly outdated, with 80pc of the systems reaching their end of life, including the UPS batteries.
A proper replacement plan must be put in place for the data centre’s infrastructure, including cooling units, power backups and critical server hardware to avoid operational disruptions.
Similarly, both video and application storage systems are nearing the end of their operational lives, with frequent failures occurring. An upgrade is essential for data integrity, high-quality surveillance footage, and the long-term sustainability of the safe city infrastructure.
Currently, there is no backup site, which poses a significant risk in case of system failures. The establishment of a backup site at Diplomatic Enclave will provide data recovery capabilities, ensuring continuity of operations even in the event of a major system breakdown.
Under this project, about 3,187 cameras with higher technical specifications will be added to the Safe City system. These will be primarily used to cover the new locations; however, a few will be used to replace the existing low-specification cameras. The cameras will be installed at high-value premises, entry and exit points, crime pockets, processions/ protests/congestion points, public security points/crossings, and traffic choke points.
The extension is expected to serve multiple purposes, such as improving safety and security for citizens and visitors and enabling real-time traffic monitoring. Additionally, identifying new camera installation points will enhance the monitoring of public gatherings to mitigate terrorism risk and significantly reduce response times to incidents.
These new cameras are also expected to facilitate effective crisis management, prevention of untoward incidents, real-time monitoring of emerging situations, tracking of suspected vehicular and tactical and strategic operations, and intelligent traffic management.
A Project Implementation and Management Unit (PIMU) will be established at the Central Police Office under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police. Besides police officials, it will also include other co-opted members as recommended by the chairman. Additionally, a team of technical staff will be recruited to ensure the successful implementation and delivery of the proposed technological solution.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025