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ISLAMABAD: In a major leap toward smarter and safer urban living, Islamabad is set to witness a transformative expansion of its Safe City surveillance initiative, integrating cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster public safety and law enforcement.
The city’s surveillance capacity is undergoing a significant boost, with 3,200 new cameras slated for installation across the capital. These are not ordinary cameras. They’re state-of-the-art, equipped with facial recognition and traffic violation detection capabilities. Once deployed, the new additions will bring Islamabad’s total surveillance camera count to nearly 6,000, with a remarkable increase in AI coverage from the current 700 units.
The upgrade is supported by a Rs17.4 billion PC-1 proposal, aimed at enhancing every aspect of the Safe City system, from infrastructure to intelligence.
Modern Surveillance Backed by Robust Infrastructure
According to Shakir Hussain Dawar, Director General of Islamabad Safe City, the project is evolving rapidly under the focused direction of Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and IG Islamabad Ali Nasir Rizvi. The emphasis is not just on numbers but on functionality. The city currently runs its extensive surveillance on just two servers, but this is about to change.
Plans are in motion to install 14 powerful servers, dramatically increasing processing power. This upgrade will allow even older, non-AI cameras to leverage AI functionalities. It ensures that the entire system benefits from smarter analytics and faster response capabilities.
Smarter Crime Prevention, Swifter Justice
The impact of surveillance so far has already been tangible. Real-time monitoring at Safe City headquarters has led to the identification of 77 criminal gangs, with 32 already apprehended. The system enables immediate flagging of suspicious individuals, allowing law enforcement to act swiftly and effectively.
Thanks to the technology, over 1,000 wanted individuals were captured in the past year. More than 1,000 stolen vehicles were also recovered. Rooftop surveillance cameras now capture clear visuals of people inside vehicles. This has greatly improved identification accuracy.
Securing the City’s Entry Points
One key finding from the existing system is that 60-70% of criminals entering Islamabad are from outside the city. This has shifted the focus to strengthening surveillance at entry and exit points. E-post checkpoints and facial recognition alerts are proving crucial in this effort, ensuring no suspect can slip through unnoticed.
To support the massive data requirements of this advanced system, new fiber optic cables are being laid throughout the capital. This will provide the necessary bandwidth to handle real-time data transmission from thousands of cameras, enabling instant alerts and high-resolution imaging.
As Islamabad marches forward with this digital transformation, the aim is clear: complete camera coverage, smarter AI integration, and a safer environment for all residents.
With a firm focus on technology-driven policing, Islamabad is setting a new benchmark for smart cities in the region, where crime prevention is no longer reactive but predictive.
“No criminal entering the federal capital will be able to escape the eyes of the Safe City cameras.” – DG Shakir Hussain Dawar
