KARACHI : In a shocking security lapse, expensive distribution boxes installed under the Karachi Safe City Project were stolen near Bilawal House Chowrangi, raising serious concerns about the safety of the multi billion rupee initiative meant to protect the city itself.
According to Director General Safe Cities Authority, Asif Ijaz Sheikh, the boxes connected to surveillance cameras were stolen, forcing officials to remove and deactivate the cameras for security reasons. “The theft occurred in the first phase of the project, even before completion,” Sheikh said, confirming that cameras worth millions were rendered useless after the incident.
The Rs3 billion Safe City project, launched by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, aimed to install 1,300 cameras across Karachi by the end of November to curb crime and monitor traffic violations through an e-challan system. However, this incident has raised doubts about the project’s execution and protection mechanisms.
Police officials revealed that the stolen equipment lacked any built in security or alarm system, making it difficult to determine when the theft occurred. DIG South Asad Raza stated that investigators are relying on eyewitness accounts and nearby CCTV footage to establish the timeline. Witnesses reported seeing suspicious individuals in a vehicle tampering with the boxes before they vanished.
Authorities said the distribution boxes were large and heavy, making it impossible for a single person to remove them without assistance. The Safe City administration reported the theft to police on November 6, admitting that the affected cameras were already inactive at the time.
“The theft from a project designed to make Karachi safer is a deeply worrying development,” said DG Sheikh.
Police have launched a detailed investigation, with district forces and zonal DIGs ordered to tighten security around all Safe City installations across the metropolis.
