Islamabad: The federal government has approved a project to expand surveillance coverage of safe city projects to about 90% of the federal capital to Rs 7.4 crore, dawn Learned.
The amount mentioned in PC-I includes Rs 7.23 crore of technology costs, Rs 13.6 crore of employee salaries, Rs 3.164 crore of utility costs, Rs 144.68 crore of consulting firms, Rs 1.4 crore of ISP connectivity, Rs 7.42.5 crore of Rs 7.42.5 crore of Coningency.
The Islamabad Security City Project was launched in 2016 with Rs 6 billion and was transferred to the Islamabad Police Station in 2019. The existing project plans to cover 13 police stations, but it has now been decided to extend its coverage to 28 police stations. An upgraded surveillance system with state-of-the-art sensors, high-resolution cameras and advanced analytics capabilities will enable law enforcement agencies to closely track high-crime areas with efficiency and accuracy.
The existing system needs to be upgraded as it is approaching its shelf life. Video management systems are spread by multiple outdated technologies, and 80% of the system is approaching the end of its life. It is crucial to replace them with a unified video management system for seamless integration across all cameras and projects. Unified systems will improve monitoring, simplify operations, enhance integration with other security and traffic systems, and ensure long-term functionality.
Decisions are designed to replace outdated technology to ensure “high-quality monitoring”
Currently, some functions exist in the ANPR (automatic number board recognition) system with Huawei cameras, but there is a big gap in the integration of E-Challan system and across different ANPR devices in violation detection.
Existing facial recognition systems are also about to end their lives, often failing, and not integrated into a real-time blacklist. Its alternative will help with faster proof of identity and law enforcement actions.
Data centers are mostly outdated, with 80% of the systems coming to an end, including UPS batteries.
Appropriate replacement plans must be developed for the data center infrastructure, including cooling units, power backup and critical server hardware to avoid evacuation operations.
Similarly, both video and application storage systems are close to the end of their operating life and often fail. Upgrades are critical to data integrity, high-quality surveillance video, and the long-term sustainability of secure urban infrastructure.
Currently, there is no backup site, which poses significant risks in the event of system failure. Establishing a backup site in a diplomatic enclave will provide data recovery capabilities that ensure operational continuity even in the event of a major system crash.
Under this project, about 3187 cameras with higher technical specifications will be added. These are mainly used to cover new locations; however, some will be used to replace existing low-spec cameras. These cameras will be installed at high value venues, entrances and exit points, crime bags, parades/protests/congestion points, public safety points/intersections and traffic obstacle points.
The extension is expected to have multiple purposes, such as improving safety and security for citizens and visitors, and enabling real-time traffic monitoring. In addition, identifying new camera mount points will enhance monitoring of public gatherings to mitigate terrorism risks and greatly reduce response time to events.
These new cameras are also expected to promote effective crisis management, prevention of adverse events, real-time monitoring or emerging situations, tracking sister vehicles, and tactical and strategic operations, and intelligent traffic management.
Under the supervision of the Inspector General, a Project Implementation and Management Department (PIMU) will be established in the Central Police Department. BESIDS police officers will also include other selected members as recommended by the Chairman. In addition, a team of technicians will be recruited to ensure the successful implementation and delivery of the proposed technical solutions.
Posted in Dawn on September 19, 2025
