Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a high level meeting to review the province wide rollout of the Safe Cities Project, focusing on its operational progress, planned expansion, and the legal and institutional framework required to support it. The meeting examined how the initiative is being positioned as a core pillar of the province’s public safety and law enforcement architecture.
The meeting reviewed the on ground progress of the Safe Cities Project in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat, covering surveillance infrastructure, phased system activation, and the establishment of Integrated Command, Control and Communication Centers. Participants were informed that camera installation and supporting infrastructure is progressing across major roads, intersections, and key entry and exit points in the provincial capital. Officials told the meeting that the Peshawar Safe City project is scheduled to get completed by 31 January 2026. Parallel work is underway in Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat, where surveillance networks and command and control systems are being established in stages. Under the project, 88 locations in Dera Ismail Khan, 76 in Bannu, and 47 in Lakki Marwat are being brought under camera coverage, with all three districts also set to go live by the end of January. The meeting was further briefed that PC-1 for the Safe Cities Project have been finalized for Karak, Tank, and North Waziristan, and that preparatory work, including site identification and security assessments, has already been completed. A dedicated implementation framework for the merged districts was also discussed, taking into consideration the terrain, security conditions, infrastructure gaps, and operational requirements. The Chief Minister directed that, following the completion of ongoing projects, the Safe Cities network should be expanded to the remaining divisional headquarters in a phased manner, guided by security priorities, population concentration, and operational feasibility. To make full use of existing surveillance infrastructure, it was decided that CCTV cameras installed at hotels, commercial plazas, residential areas, housing societies, and other private premises will be identified, mapped, and integrated into the Safe City network in line with technical standards, legal requirements, and privacy safeguards. Cameras installed in educational institutions, particularly schools, will also be linked to the system wherever feasible. With the scope of the project expanding rapidly, the Chief Minister also directed that proposals be submitted for the establishment of a Safe Cities Authority. He said the framework must address governance, lawful use of surveillance data, admissibility of digital evidence in investigations and court proceedings, data protection, citizens’ privacy, inter agency access, and the recruitment and training of technical personnel, so that the project rests on strong institutional foundations. He further directed that a 24 hour solar powered energy supply be ensured for Safe Cities infrastructure in the merged districts, noting that extending modern technology to remote and sensitive areas is a key priority of the provincial government. Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the Safe Cities initiative would be rolled out across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in phases, adding that maintaining law and order and protecting the lives and property of citizens remain the government’s foremost responsibility. He said the technology driven project would significantly enhance crime prevention, enable faster response, and strengthen the operational capacity of law enforcement agencies, laying the groundwork for lasting peace in the province.