Islamabad: President Asif Zardari approved an ordinance today to protect ICT Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure from damage and to compensate the ICT from federal funds for any losses.
The President's Office said the ICT Safe City Camera and Surveillance Infrastructure Protection and Damage Compensation Ordinance was approved on Friday on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Under the ordinance, authorities may impose a fine of up to Rs 2 million for damaging a Safe City camera or other surveillance infrastructure. Financial penalties may also be levied on those who incite or encourage such damage.
The notification said that if damage occurs during a public meeting, procession, sit in, protest, strike or other gathering, the organisers may also be held responsible.
The amount of the fine and the cost of repairing or replacing damaged infrastructure will be determined by an authorised officer. The person concerned will be allowed to be heard before the determination is made.
The ordinance also provides a right of appeal against the fine or compensation determined by the authorised officer. An appeal may be filed before the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days. Fines may also be recovered as arrears of land revenue,
Funds recovered through fines and compensation will be used to repair or replace Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure.
It follows damage to Safe City infrastructure during a PTI protest in 2024, which officials said damaged 441 cameras of the Safe City Authority.
The ordinance comes after the PTI delayed its planned protest in Islamabad to October 4. They say they seek the release of former party chairman Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
