The Karachi Safe City Project Phase I is set to launch within the next two months, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced on Thursday. The announcement came during a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister’s House, where officials reviewed progress on the long-awaited surveillance and security initiative.
While authorities have already rolled out the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), commonly known as the e-challan system, the Safe City Project has now entered its final preparation stage.
Technology Installation Completed, Trials Underway
As per the chief minister, authorities have completed all major technology installations under Phase I, and trial operations are currently underway. The project includes 1,300 cameras installed on 300 poles, all of which are transmitting live footage to the Central Police Office (CPO) Command and Control Centre.
So far, 43 poles are fully operational, which are enabling real-time monitoring of sensitive areas across the city.
CM Murad Ali Shah also gave suggestions to the officials to start recruiting expert technical staff to ensure that the project becomes fully operational within the announced timeline.
Phase I Focuses on Red Zone and Airport Corridor
The first phase of the Karachi Safe City Project covers the city’s high-security Red Zone and the airport corridor. In later phases, authorities will expand coverage to the South, East, Korangi, and Malir districts. This will significantly widen the city’s surveillance network.
The transformation of Karachi into a technology-driven metropolis is one of the major aims of the project, featuring
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- Facial recognition
- Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)
- Intelligent traffic management systems
Budget Approved and Staffing Strengthened
The chief minister approved a revised Rs 200 million budget for Phase I. It is reallocating funds to prioritize human resources and patrolling operations. To avoid delays, the government allowed the temporary contractual hiring of 34 specialized experts.
Officials confirmed that servers, fibre-optic networks, and video walls were completed on schedule in December 2025. Meanwhile, the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system will be ready for live demonstrations in the next weeks.
Expansion Planned Beyond Karachi
Finally, CM Murad Ali Shah instructed the Sindh Safe City Authority to make preparations for similar projects for Hyderabad and Sukkur. It is marking a broader push toward smarter and safer cities across Sindh.