Safe City project: To revive or not to revive, for interior ministry, that is the question

Project was halted in 2009 after SC found lack of transparency.

ISLAMABAD:

The government is considering reviewing the Safe City project which has been pending since 2008, according to the Interior secretary on Wednesday. He was speaking during a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

The Rs11 billion Safe City project was initiated in 2008 with Hauwei Tech Company Limited China. However, in August 2009, the Supreme Court (SC) declared this project illegal after pointing out violations of Public Procurement Rules. However, it did not void the project and only told the government to ensure transparency by reinitiating the procurement process in accordance with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance.

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Javed Iqbal told the standing committee --- chaired by Senator Talha Mahmood --- that the “government is considering reviewing the project and the ministry has sought a legal opinion from the law ministry”.

The secretary said that Interior Ministry is awaiting the response of law ministry. After receiving their response, the ministry would be able to decide whether this project will still be viable.

The committee was informed that the previous government had ordered 24 scanners.



It paid Rs68 million for two of scanners which had already been delivered when the apex court intervened, with the outstanding amount due over a period of 20 years.

Under the project, surveillance equipment, explosive detectors and scanners were to be installed by the Chinese firm at all entry and exit points of Islamabad. However, it was later uncovered that used equipment was being provided for the price of brand new items.

Earlier, Inspector General of the Islamabad Police (IGP) Sikandar Hayat Khan informed the meeting that scanners could not detect the explosives and there was no need to install them. He informed the meeting that of the two scanners from China, one of which was handed over to Rangers in Karachi and the other was placed in Golra, on the outskirts of the capital.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2013.