President approves ordinance to protect Islamabad Safe City cameras

President Asif Ali Zardari, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has approved the Islamabad Capital Territory Safe City Camera and Surveillance Infrastructure Protection and Damage Compensation Ordinance, according a statement from the President’s Office on Saturday.

The ordinance seeks to protect Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure from damage and provide a mechanism for recovering the cost of repairs or replacement in case of damage.

Under the ordinance, a financial penalty may be imposed on anyone who damages Safe City cameras or surveillance infrastructure or instigates or encourages such damage.

Organisers may also be held responsible for damage caused during rallies, processions, sit-ins, protests, strikes or other gatherings.

The fine and cost of damage will be determined by an authorised officer after providing the concerned person an opportunity of hearing.

The person concerned may appeal against the determination of the fine or damage cost before the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days.

If the penalty or damage cost is not paid, the amount will be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.

The funds collected through penalties and damage costs will be used for the repair and replacement of Safe City cameras and surveillance infrastructure.

The ordinance comes as Islamabad continues to expand and upgrade its Safe City surveillance network.

The development comes amid looming protests and long marches by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat e Islami (JI) in Islamabad.

The PTI was scheduled to begin a long march towards Islamabad on September 27, until a day ago when they announced to put off their campaign to October 4. The party has vowed a major mobilisation against the government.

The decision to defer the protest march was taken during a meeting of senior PTI leaders at the party’s central office, attended via video link by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi from Peshawar, followed by consultations with the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance of key opposition parties.

Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Afridi ended speculation over the new date, declaring: “The long march will depart from Peshawar to Islamabad on Sunday, October 4. This is the unanimous decision of the political committee.”

On the other hand, JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said on September 22 that the party had postponed its long march until the first week of October at the request of PM Shehbaz, while making it clear that its protest campaign would continue.

Addressing a press conference in Multan, Hafiz Naeem had said the JI was raising issues concerning the basic problems faced by the public and accused the government of using petrol prices and tax collection to conceal corruption.

He had said sit-ins were continuing in 42 cities and that the party had already asked the government in writing to withdraw the levy, but received a negative response.

The JI chief had said several meetings had been held with the government and the party had also launched a train march from Karachi to Rohri and onward to Multan as part of its campaign over public issues.