KARACHI: Police on Monday claimed to have made the first-ever arrest using facial recognition technology in the metropolis.

Without identifying the exact location, DIG Syed Asad Raza said that an alert was received by an emergency response vehicle (ERV) operator that a motorcycle rider with a criminal history was passing through an area in South Zone of the police’s organisational structure.

The ERV staff immediately responded, stopped the person, checked his computerised national identity card, and confirmed his identity as Abdul Azeem, who was booked in six cases pertaining to attempted murder, possession of unlicensed weapons, encounter with police, rioting and terrorism. He was also declared an absconder, the DIG added.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025