Public deceived over Safe City project: Afridi

Says government devising policy for recharging groundwater in federal capital


Our Correspondent December 20, 2018
The Safe City project, which saw some 1,900 closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) installed across the federal capital, had been inaugurated by the then interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in June 2016. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Even as the apex anti-corruption watchdog looks into why hundreds of cameras of the Safe City project in the federal capital are malfunctioning, the State Minister for Interior Shaheryar Afridi on Wednesday claimed that the public had been deceived over the project.

He stated this while addressing the passing out ceremony of Islamabad Police cadets from the 17th batch of Lower Course and the 32nd batch of the Basic Recruit Course at the Police Lines on Wednesday.

The Safe City project, which saw some 1,900 closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) installed across the federal capital, had been inaugurated by the then interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in June 2016.

On Wednesday, Afridi claimed that the public had been deceived in the Rs13 billion project as he paid tribute to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal for launching a probe into the matter.

The state minister went on to say that the federal government was introducing a model policing in the federal capital. For this purpose, the capacity of the police force will be enhanced apart from addressing all basic needs and requests which had been pending for the past 11 years.

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Addressing the police cadets who had just passed out, he said that they will soon prove to be the frontline soldiers and flag bearers of this new model policing system.

“From now on, the young cadets will be visible on the roads of Islamabad to provide the public with friendly policing,” Afridi said, adding, “No police officers will be allowed to humiliate honourable citizens of Pakistan.”

In a veiled swipe at the former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and its use of the police during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) 2014 march on the capital, Afridi said that the black traditions of the colonial era are over and that the police will now serve the masses.

The state minister went on to say that they will purge schools of drugs. In this regard, he urged the Islamabad Police to continue its ongoing drive against drug peddlers in the capital and to stand firm in the face of pressure.

Noting that 354 cases against 385 suspected drug peddlers had been registered in different police stations of the federal capital over the past two months, he urged the judiciary not to grant bail to suspects arrested in heinous crimes such as drugs and land grabbing so that the law enforcement agencies could rid the country of such mafias.

The state interior minister further noted that amongst the recruits who had passed out on Wednesday, there were 23 young cadets who hailed from the families of martyred police officials.

He said that the security agencies had rendered unprecedented sacrifices in the war on terror while the Islamabad Police had the honour of offering 41 martyrs and for curbing terrorism in the federal capital.

Talking about land grabbers, he reiterated his pledge to recover state land from the clutches of the land mafia and extolled the performance of the Islamabad Police in its recent drive against land grabbers.

He also threw his weight behind the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the federal capital, asserting that it will continue with full vigour until all encroached land is recovered.

Speaking at the event IGP Islamabad Amir Zulfiqar said, that they were taking indiscriminate action against land grabbers.

Water policy

Separately, while answering queries during the Senate Question Hour, Afridi said that the groundwater level in the federal capital was falling due to extensive pumping of groundwater — both by the civic departments and residents of the city.

He explained that the city was failing to meet its water requirements because of less than normal rainfall in recent years.

In light of that, he said that the government was devising a comprehensive policy to recharge the capital’s underground aquifers.

Responding to another question, Afridi said that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration had imposed fines worth Rs115,000 on 109 outlets and hotels in federal capital for selling sub-standard food. Moreover, six hotel owners had been booked. Moreover, he said that the ICT admin had fixed the price of essential food items such as bread, milk, yoghurt, vegetables, fruits and meat under the Prices Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act 1977.

Quality was being further controlled through a vigorous campaign involving on-the-spot, physical checking and inspections of restaurants by authorised officers ICT Department, food inspectors accompanying the magistrates and assistant commissioners.

Responding to another question, he said there were 213 Parks in Islamabad including six major parks and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was taking steps within available resources to tighten security at these parks.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT APP

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2018.

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