KARACHI: Private news channels having the technological support of drone cameras for coverage across the country may not have the liberty to use them in Karachi where security agencies want a ‘complete ban’ on their use, it emerged on Wednesday.

The security administration is working on a proposal in this regard and is likely to approach the federal authorities to seek their support for the proposal.

Major concern over the use of the flying cameras, also called heli-cams, has been expressed by the key law enforcement agency, Karachi police, which managed to convince the security administration at least thrice in recent months to ban their use on different occasions, including the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2014) that concludes on Thursday.

“You see, one can’t afford free use of drone cameras in Karachi,” said the Sindh police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo while speaking to Dawn.

“Our main concern is that it can be used for any terror or criminal activity. Such a machine can easily be used as an explosive carrier. There are several other issues as well which compromise security arrangements and that’s why we seek a complete ban on it in Karachi,” he said.

The Sindh home department had announced last week a ban on the use of heli-cams by TV channels during IDEAS-2014 ‘in and around’ the Expo Centre under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code.

This was not the first time that the Sindh government came up with such a move. Earlier for the Oct 18 rally of the Pakistan Peoples Party, which was seen as the launch of its co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and then for Muharram processions in November, the security administration had taken the same measures in Karachi unlike other cities where TV channels enjoyed uninterrupted and unchecked use of heli-cams.

“Apart from carrying explosives, these cameras can be used for surveillance by anyone,” said DIG-South Barrister Abdul Khaliq Sheikh who is responsible for policing the ‘red zone’ area where buildings such as CM House, Governor House, Sindh Assembly, secretariat, Rangers and police headquarters are situated.

“Secondly, there is no discipline. You never know the drone camera hovering in the air is manned by a news channel, a private organisation or an individual. So keeping things straight, we support a complete ban on these cameras and very soon will send a proposal to Pemra [Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] and other authorities concerned on these lines.”

The views shared by the DIG-South gave sketchy details of the proposal, as being suggested by sources, that the Karachi police are preparing a draft for federal and provincial authorities seeking support for a complete ban on heli-cams in the city.

The news is definitely not welcomed by the television channels. “The ban is not a solution,” said Khurram Bari, who works as adviser at Samaa TV that used drone camera for the first time earlier this year while covering Eid shopping fervour in major cities of the country.

“We agree to the concerns shared by the police about security but they should formulate guidelines and regulate the functioning which the TV channels will definitely follow,” he argued.

He said the use of drone technology was growing across the world. It was not restricted to the broadcast media but was also being used in a variety of fields, including agriculture, policing and traffic management.

He said: “We will definitely welcome if the security agencies formulate guidelines or a code of conduct for that purpose. They should make a proposal but not in isolation as feedback from the TV channels should be part of that critical document and that would be in everyone’s best interest.”

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2014