President Zardari approves ordinance to protect Islamabad Safe City cameras

President Asif Ali Zardari has approved an ordinance aimed at protecting Islamabad’s Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure, with penalties of up to Rs2 million per camera for damage.

The ordinance, approved on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeks to safeguard the capital’s surveillance systems and ensure recovery of costs where damage is caused, the President Secretariat’s media wing said on Saturday. It is formally titled the Islamabad Capital Territory Safe City Camera and Surveillance Infrastructure Protection and Damage Compensation Ordinance.

Under the ordinance, financial penalties may be imposed for damaging Safe City cameras or surveillance infrastructure, or for inciting or encouraging such damage. A fine of up to Rs2 million may be imposed per camera or piece of infrastructure, and organisers of rallies, processions, sit-ins, protests, strikes or other gatherings may be held responsible for damage occurring during their events.

The amount of any fine and the cost of damage will be determined by an authorised officer after the person concerned has been given an opportunity to be heard. Those affected may appeal to the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days. Where fines or compensation are not paid, they may be recovered as arrears of land revenue, with the proceeds used for the repair and replacement of cameras and infrastructure.

The move comes after the PTI deferred its planned protest in Islamabad to 4 October to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who is held in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, Dawn reported.

Sources

• Dawn — “President Zardari approves ordinance to protect Islamabad’s Safe City infrastructure” (https://www.dawn.com/news/2032789)
• UrduPoint — “President Zardari Approves Ordinance For Protection Of Islamabad Safe City Surveillance Infrastructure” (https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/president-zardari-approves-ordinance-for-prot-2260095.html)
• Daily Pakistan — “Up to Rs2m fine for damaging Islamabad Safe City Cameras as new law approved” (https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/26-Sep-2026/up-to-rs2m-fine-for-damaging-islamabad-safe-city-cameras-as-new-law-approved)