Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Karachi Safe City Phase II, which will expand the city’s surveillance and law enforcement network with more than 2,300 smart cameras and new monitoring infrastructure. The project aims to strengthen urban security, improve traffic enforcement and support emergency response across Karachi.
Murad Ali Shah cleared the plan during a meeting of the Sindh Safe Cities Authority at the CM House. He said the government continues to treat public safety through modern technology as a top priority.
Phase II includes 2,314 smart cameras. Of these, 870 will support general surveillance, 1,300 will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition and facial recognition, 80 will focus on traffic enforcement, 56 will operate as mobile surveillance units, and eight will monitor traffic signals.
Authorities will install the cameras across Karachi’s districts. District South will receive the highest number, with 322 cameras. East will get 220, Korangi 27, Keamari 17, Malir 16, and West one.
The project is estimated to cost around Rs9.98 billion, and officials aim to complete it within 12 months. They plan to start work in May 2026.
The infrastructure goes beyond fixed cameras. The plan also includes nine Points of Presence sites with solar and generator backup, one smart surveillance tower, 50 public panic buttons linked to a central command system, eight response vehicles with onboard cameras and 10 surveillance drones.
Murad Ali Shah said the government had saved more than Rs1 billion through procurement negotiations. He described the scheme as both a public safety investment and a national security measure.
He also directed officials to expedite approvals and avoid delays, warning that rising global prices for surveillance equipment could increase overall costs.
The meeting also reviewed proposals to launch Safe City projects in other divisional headquarters, including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad. Those proposals carry an estimated total cost of Rs3.15 billion and include 780 cameras.
Murad Shah stressed the need to bring all safe city projects under a unified Sindh Safe Cities Authority framework. He said integrated systems would improve coordination, reduce duplication and create a stronger command-and-control network across the province.
The chief minister said the broader initiative would not only help prevent crime and improve response times, but also strengthen traffic management and emergency services in Karachi and beyond.
