President approves ordinance imposing up to Rs2m fines for Safe City camera damage

President Asif Ali Zardari, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has approved an ordinance aimed at protecting Islamabad Capital Territory's Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure and providing compensation for any damage, said a statement by the President's Office on Saturday. "The objective of the ordinance is to safeguard the Safe City cameras and surveillance system from damage and to ensure compensation in the event of any damage," it stated. According to the statement, under the ordinance, financial penalties may be imposed for damaging Safe City cameras or surveillance infrastructure, as well as for "inciting or encouraging such damage". صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری نے وزیرِ اعظم کی ایڈوائس پر اسلام آباد کیپٹل ٹیریٹری سیف سٹی کیمرا اور سرویلنس انفراسٹرکچر کے تحفظ اور نقصان کی تلافی سے متعلق آرڈیننس کی منظوری دے دی۔ آرڈیننس کا مقصد سیف سٹی کیمروں اور نگرانی کے نظام کو نقصان سے محفوظ بنانا اور نقصان کی صورت میں اس کی… — The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) September 26, 2026 It further added that a penalty of up to Rs2 million may be imposed for damage to each Safe City camera or piece of surveillance infrastructure. "The ordinance also provides that if damage occurs during rallies, processions, sit-ins, protests, strikes or gatherings, the organisers may also be held responsible for the damage," the statement from the presidency said. Read: Capital to get AI-powered crime watch The statement said that the amount of the fine and the cost of the damage would be determined by an authorised officer after providing an opportunity for a hearing. "The relevant person will have the right to appeal against the determination of the fine or damage cost before the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days," it added. It stated that if the imposed fine or damage amount was not paid, it may be recovered as arrears of land revenue. The amounts collected through fines and damage compensation would be used for the repair and replacement of Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure.