A Chinese company has reportedly consented to fix the dysfunctional cameras installed on the main roads of the provincial capital by the Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) and 6,500 cameras will be fully functional by August 14.

In this regard, Inspector General Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar held a meeting with Huawei officials, along with Chief Operating Officer of Punjab Safe Cities Authority Kamran Khan and other relevant officers, at his office on Tuesday.

The IG Punjab stated that the equipment from the private company, Huawei, is expected to arrive by cargo ship on June 21, after which the repair and maintenance work will commence immediately.

Anwar mentioned that an additional 500 cameras for the Safe City Authority are also being repaired through other means.

The functioning of all cameras will enhance the efficiency of security monitoring on important roads and sensitive locations.

Dr Usman Anwar added that all issues related to face recognition software at PSCA have been resolved, and the system has been reactivated.

Anwar also mentioned that work on safe city projects will commence in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, with a cost of Rs7,000 million.

Dr Usman Anwar emphasised that safe city technology plays a key role in crime prevention, traffic management, and the security of entry and exit points of the city, as well as sensitive locations.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2023.