Security cameras, scanners at capital’s entry removed

• AIG operations says work on safe city project’s next two phases is underway
• Over 2,000 security, CCTV cameras working under a comprehensive security plan

ISLAMABAD: The cameras and scanners placed at the entry and exit points of Faizabad, the main entrance for the traffic coming from GT Road, have been removed after dysfunctional for a long by the city authorities risking the security of the federal capital.

Under the Rs13 billion ‘Safe City’ project, over 1,900 surveillance cameras have been installed across the federal capital, with a Command and Control Centre set up in Sector H-11 to monitor important buildings, entry and exit points, roads, commercial centres and a sizable portion of the residential areas.

As reported by this paper in June this year, despite the multi billion rupees project, the number of the registered cases have not dropped. Talking to Pakistan Today, AIG Operations Abdul Qadir Qamar said that the Safe City project was a huge success and has greatly helped in curbing crime in the city. About functioning of the cameras, he said that few cameras may be out of order or under maintenance but overall they work fine.

“As many as 72-75 percent of cameras are working at any given time. They have a backup of 30 days,” he said, adding that the Safe City project was not fully completed as its first two phases have been completed and work on the next two was underway. “Face and ID recognition of car number plates with its original owner will be incorporated in the next two phases,” he said.

AIG Qamar said that as soon as funding was available they’ll go ahead and the Islamabad Police has taken up the case with the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Ministry of Finance for funds. It is pertinent to mention here that the safe city model comprises of a host of features which unite to form a formidable technology driven approach in securing a specific region.

The implementation of this project facilitated by the advent of the smart ID cards, electronic RFID tags, smart vehicle registration cards and the centralised databases (primarily NADRA citizen database and centralised vehicle database) for authentication of vehicles and individuals. The whole network of the security structure is additionally supported by a myriad of the security cameras and CCTVs.

Along with the Islamabad Police, NADRA and the Ministry of Interior have also joined hands to implement this project in Islamabad. Under the security plan, as many as almost 2000 security and CCTV cameras and intelligent video surveillance are installed in the city. NADRA is also planning to replicate this project in Karachi, which is the economic hub of Pakistan and the fifth largest city of the world in terms of population.

This is further complemented by the installation of CCTV/IP cameras and RFID tag readers which are required to be placed at strategic locations across the city to create an effective monitoring and control system. The model is an amalgamation of technology and trained personnel who act together in fortifying the territorial space.

Controlled through the Central Command Centre, the population and their activities are monitored along with a vehicle tracking system that forms a preverbal umbrella hovering over the allocated access points and key locations which may include check posts, public access areas, sensitive installations and restricted areas.