Punjab to expand digital surveillance network
LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has launched a ‘mega’ project to expand the scope of digital surveillance network across 98 tehsils of the province with an estimated cost of Rs16 billion. The safe city operations are functional in nearly 40 cities following a province-wide network rollout on the directions of the Punjab chief minister with thousands of high-definition cameras and…
Lahore: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) is set to launch a major project to broaden the reach of its digital surveillance network across the province's 98 tehsils at an estimated cost of Rs16 billion. The existing network is already operational in nearly 40 cities, following a province-wide rollout implemented at the direction of the Punjab chief minister.
This new program, which will introduce 10,000 additional high-definition cameras, aims to further reduce crime, with initial reports indicating a 70% decrease in serious offenses.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the extension of digital surveillance to cover 7,602 union councils, making it one of the most extensive digital policing networks in South Asia. The chief minister's visit to China in August 2026 paved the way for technology transfer and partnerships in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance.
Following her return, Nawaz held numerous meetings focused on digital revolutions across various sectors, particularly emphasizing the technology transfer to rural areas within Punjab.
According to an official, Punjab witnessed no emergency 15 calls related to robbery, street crime, or snatching in the 39 Safe City-covered districts on September 20. The coordination among the PSCA, Crime Control Department (CCD), and district police has resulted in positive outcomes, providing timely intelligence and rapid response mechanisms.
The Safe City's operations centers supply law-enforcement agencies with real-time video analytics, digital evidence, and technology-enabled monitoring to aid in crime prevention and rapid action.
Currently, 43 smart safe city centers are providing continuous surveillance and technological support to police and other law-enforcement agencies, utilizing advanced video analytics, digital evidence, and various AI systems, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), facial recognition, smart vision, crime analytics, and intelligent traffic management.
These systems help analyze feeds, identify suspicious behavior, detect stolen vehicles, and predict crime hotspots. Beyond these developments, the initiative continues to expand technology-driven measures as part of the ongoing efforts to advance the "Safe Punjab" program.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
