ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi on Wednesday said that a mechanism for monitoring all major roads, centres and sectors of the city through Safe City cameras and modern technology has been put in place, as the Islamabad Safe City project has been upgraded according to contemporary requirements and modern standards.

During a meeting held to review the law and order situation and ensure foolproof security arrangements in Islamabad, the IGP said timely action was being taken against criminal elements to control crime.

The meeting, held at the CDA Headquarters, was briefed by IGP Rizvi on the measures taken to further improve the law and order situation and make foolproof arrangements for crime prevention. He said protecting the lives, property and honour of citizens was the top priority, and the Islamabad Police were working day and night to ensure this.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman emphasised that special monitoring of the city’s entry and exit routes should be ensured, and patrolling across the city should be increased.

He also directed integrated coordination with all relevant departments and law enforcement agencies.

It may be mentioned here that the federal government has approved a project worth Rs7.4 billion to extend the Safe City surveillance coverage to approximately 90 per cent of the capital.

The total amount includes Rs7.234 billion for technology costs, Rs13.6 million for staff salaries, Rs31.164 million for utilities, Rs144.684 million for consultancy, Rs1.4 million for ISP connectivity, and Rs74.250 million for contingencies.

The Islamabad Safe City Project was launched in 2016 at a cost of Rs6 billion and was transferred to the Islamabad Police in 2019. It currently covers only 35 per cent of the city, leaving much of it without surveillance. The project initially covered 13 police stations but has now been expanded to 28.

The new upgraded surveillance system, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, high-resolution cameras and advanced analytics, will allow law enforcement agencies to monitor high-crime areas more efficiently and accurately.

Outdated hardware and software in the existing system have reduced its ability to prevent crime, manage traffic and respond to emergencies. This gap between current capabilities and growing demands highlights the urgent need to expand the project’s coverage and upgrade its technology.

The existing Video Management System (VMS) is fragmented, with multiple outdated technologies, and 80 per cent of the system is nearing its end of life without operational maintenance contracts.

It is critical to replace these with a unified VMS for seamless integration across all cameras and related projects.

A unified system will improve surveillance, streamline operations, enhance integration with other security and traffic systems and ensure long-term functionality.

Currently, there is partial functionality in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, but significant gaps exist in violation detection, the e-challan system, and integration across devices. Installation of more ANPR cameras at key intersections has been recommended to enable a fully functional e-challan system for real-time violation detection and ticketing.

The existing Facial Recognition System (FRS) is also at the end of its life, often malfunctioning and lacking integration for real-time blacklisting. Replacing it with a unified FRS will provide better accuracy, reliability and integration with blacklists, enabling faster identification and law enforcement action.

The data centre is largely outdated, with 80 per cent of its systems reaching end-of-life status, including CRACs and UPS batteries.

A proper replacement plan is required for the data centre’s infrastructure, including cooling units, power backups and critical server hardware, to avoid operational disruptions.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025