KARACHI: In a first for Pakistan, police in the southern province of Sindh have arrested a suspect wanted in multiple violent crimes using facial recognition technology, marking a milestone in the country’s efforts to modernize law enforcement.
According to Arab News, the suspect, identified as Abdul Azeem, was captured through the city’s expanding Safe City project, which employs real-time surveillance and automated data analysis.
“This is the first case of its kind in which police, with the help of cameras, managed to apprehend a criminal about whom there was no prior information,” said Asad Raza, Deputy Inspector General of Police for Karachi’s South district. “Using technology, his identity was confirmed, and he was arrested immediately.”
Azeem, traveling on a motorcycle, was detected by one of the 42 facial recognition (FR) cameras in Karachi’s South Zone. The system triggered an alert to the command-and-control center, which dispatched nearby officers to intercept and confirm his identity.
Karachi’s Safe City Project Gains Momentum
Once plagued by rampant street crime, gang wars, and targeted killings, Karachi has gradually moved toward a tech-driven policing model. Authorities launched the Safe City initiative to enhance surveillance and reduce crime in the metropolis of nearly 20 million people.
Under Phase 1 of the project, more than 1,000 cameras have been installed across the city — 900 of them in the South Zone alone. The system integrates standard surveillance units, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, and facial recognition cameras, placed in key public areas such as shopping malls, parks, and registration offices.
DIG Raza said the initiative reflects a broader global trend: “Policing and technology have now become inseparable. In all modern cities, law enforcement relies on technology to aid their operations.”
