Islamabad’s Safe City project is entering a significant new phase as authorities prepare to install 3,200 new artificial intelligence-powered surveillance cameras across the capital. The initiative, aimed at enhancing city-wide monitoring and public safety, marks one of the most ambitious upgrades in the region’s urban security infrastructure to date.
Director General of Safe City Islamabad, Shakir Hussain Dawar, revealed the development during a media briefing held on Thursday. He confirmed that the PC-1 proposal for the project—valued at Rs. 17.4 billion—has already been submitted. This new phase will incorporate cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities to significantly enhance surveillance, crime prevention, and incident response across Islamabad.
At present, Islamabad’s surveillance network includes 2,758 cameras, out of which 700 are equipped with AI capabilities. The new upgrade will more than double the current camera network, not just in quantity but in intelligence. These new AI-powered cameras will come equipped with advanced features such as facial recognition, automatic license plate detection, and traffic violation monitoring. Authorities believe that this technological leap will enable comprehensive digital tracking of all individuals entering and moving within the city.
In support of this expanded capability, the Safe City project is integrating seven high-powered servers into its system to support the enhanced load. These servers will not only accommodate the new cameras but will also optimize the performance of existing units. Additionally, 14 more servers are planned to be deployed, which will help enable older cameras in the network to transition to AI-based functionality, ensuring that the entire system moves toward intelligent automation.
DG Dawar noted that even the current level of AI surveillance has already yielded promising results. “Through artificial intelligence, we have been able to identify 77 criminal gangs operating in the city, and so far, 32 of these groups have been arrested,” he said. He also mentioned that newer rooftop-mounted cameras will soon be capable of capturing high-resolution images of individuals inside moving vehicles, improving identification and tracking.
This project underscores the growing role of artificial intelligence in urban planning and law enforcement in Pakistan. Authorities believe that AI-enabled technologies will not only improve response times but also help deter crime through consistent and automated monitoring. With real-time facial recognition and intelligent data gathering, the system can significantly aid law enforcement agencies in proactive decision-making.
The Safe City Islamabad upgrade is part of a broader trend where cities are turning to AI and smart infrastructure to handle the complexities of urban security. By embedding intelligence into surveillance systems, Islamabad is setting a benchmark for modern policing and digital safety in Pakistan.
As the capital city undergoes this transformation, the use of AI in surveillance is expected to become a blueprint for other metropolitan areas across the country, aiming to create smarter and safer urban environments through technological advancement.
