ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved an ordinance allowing fines of up to Rs2 million per damaged Safe City camera or surveillance infrastructure item. The President’s House announced the approval on Saturday.
Penalties cover causing damage as well as inciting or encouraging it. Organisers may also face liability for damage during rallies, processions, sit-ins, protests, strikes or other gatherings.
An authorised officer must give the person concerned an opportunity to present their case before determining the fine and damage cost. Anyone challenging that determination can appeal to Islamabad’s district and sessions judge within 30 days.
Authorities can recover unpaid fines and compensation as land revenue arrears. The money collected goes toward repairing or replacing damaged cameras and surveillance equipment.
Zardari acted on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice.
The measure is titled the Islamabad Capital Territory Safe City Camera and Surveillance Infrastructure Protection and Damage Compensation Ordinance.
Separately, officials are expanding the capital’s surveillance network. During an August 7 briefing at Safe City Headquarters, they told Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that the expansion was 85% complete.
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Teams had laid 415 kilometres of optical fibre for the upgraded system. Officials put progress on the data centre, cyber architecture and cybersecurity infrastructure at around 80%.
At that meeting, Naqvi directed officials to complete the expansion by September 30.
(With input from Geo News)
