Passengers on metro buses to be recorded
Pickets, cameras being installed to boost Red Zone security
Minister says suspects in Friday’s suicide attack arrested

ISLAMABAD: In order to boost the defence of the federal capital still reeling from a suicide bombing that left a policeman and taxi driver dead, the capital police have decided to link cameras installed at metro bus stations with the Islamabad safe city network to enhance surveillance.

In addition to this, the police will also make videos of passengers travelling at metro buses at specific stations, sources told Dawn.

On the other hand, in an interview with a private TV channel, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said suspects with connections to Friday’s suicide attack in I-10 had been arrested.

Security at entry points of the Red Zone will be increased through installation of cameras while pickets will be set up in and around the zone, including the Diplomatic Enclave.

Talking to Dawn, police officials said the operation division would monitor the metro stations and passengers, while the security division would monitor the Red Zone and Diplomatic Enclave’s entry points through CCTVs.

They said CCTV cameras were already installed at metro stations and depots, adding that the process to link these cameras with the Safe City was underway.

The officials said the link would enable the police to effectively monitor these stations, adding that passengers would be recorded by the police as well and to store these videos, a data bank was being created.

They said the police officials would use mobile phones to record videos till the availability of proper cameras for the job. The policemen deployed to make these videos would also be trained to spot suspects, the officials added.

Pickets in Red Zone

At the entry points of Red Zone, panoramic and rotating cameras are being installed, the police officials told Dawn. They said officials deployed at pickets in the area would be equipped with mobile cameras.

After the suicide attack, the capital police have erected pickets at 25 points in the capital, the officials said, adding that these pickets were linked with the Safe City cameras through static and mobile cameras.

The police, without naming any country, asked foreign nationals to keep their identification documents with them while moving around the capital.

The residents of the capital were also being approached through different ways with directives to get their employees and servants, especially foreign nationals, registered with the police, they added.

It may be noted here that the capital administration banned all types of gatherings for two weeks and declared high alert in the city for two days following the bombing in I-10 sector.

*Suspects arrested**

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while talking to a TV channel, said four to five suspects, including the handler, had been arrested.

He said the suspects had travelled from Kurram tribal district and stayed in Rawalpindi, adding that the taxi driver was innocent and was hired by the terrorist.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2022