Damaging Islamabad Safe City Cameras Now Carries Fines Up to Rs 2 Million

Damaging a Safe City camera in Islamabad can now cost up to Rs 2 million per camera, under an ordinance President Asif Ali Zardari approved on Saturday 26 September 2026. Protest organisers can also be made to pay for cameras damaged during a rally, sit-in or strike.

The President approved it on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a statement from the President's House. It is called the Islamabad Capital Territory Safe City Camera and Surveillance Infrastructure Protection and Damage Compensation Ordinance.

We have not been able to read the ordinance itself. As of 26 September 2026 it was not on the websites of the Press Information Department, the President's Secretariat or Pakistan Code, which is where federal laws are published. Everything below comes from the President's House statement as quoted in the press, and we will update this when the text is out.

Fines of up to Rs 2 million for each damaged camera

The ordinance lets the authorities fine anyone who damages a Safe City camera or other surveillance equipment in Islamabad, up to Rs 2 million for each camera or item damaged. People who incite or encourage the damage can be fined too.

The fine is per item. So, according to the statement, a person or group that breaks three cameras could in principle face up to Rs 6 million, plus the cost of the damage.

Organisers of protests and sit-ins can be made to pay

The statement says that if cameras are damaged during a rally, procession, sit-in, protest, strike or other gathering, the organisers may also be held responsible. This is the part most likely to be tested, because it makes the organiser liable for damage they may not have caused themselves.

The timing is not a coincidence. Islamabad was sealed with shipping containers this week ahead of a planned PTI march on the capital, which the party has since said is postponed to 4 October. The ordinance does not name any party, and it applies to any gathering.

What we cannot yet tell you is how "organiser" is defined, or whether there is a defence for an organiser who took reasonable steps to stop damage. Those answers are in the text, which has not been published.

You get a hearing, and 30 days to appeal

An authorised officer decides the fine and the cost of the damage, but only after giving the person a chance to present their case. Anyone unhappy with the decision can appeal to the District and Sessions Judge in Islamabad within 30 days.

Here is how the process runs, as the statement describes it:

1. A camera or other surveillance equipment is damaged.
2. An authorised officer gives the person accused a hearing.
3. The officer sets the fine and the cost of the damage.
4. The person can appeal to the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days.
5. If the amount is not paid, it can be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

Recovery "as arrears of land revenue" is a strong power. It lets the government collect an unpaid amount the way it collects unpaid land tax, which can include attaching property, without a separate civil case.

An ordinance is temporary unless Parliament passes it

An ordinance is a law made by the President when Parliament is not sitting. Under Article 89 of the Constitution, a federal ordinance lapses after 120 days unless the National Assembly passes it as an Act, or extends it once by a resolution for a further 120 days.

So this is law now, from the day it is promulgated, but it is not permanent. Watch for a bill in the National Assembly with the same name.

The ordinance applies only to Islamabad Capital Territory. Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan run their own Safe City projects under provincial arrangements, and this federal ordinance does not reach them.

What Safe City Islamabad is

Safe City Islamabad is the Islamabad Police division that runs the city's surveillance cameras, the emergency command centre and several digital services. Its own page describes an Integrated Command, Control and Communication Centre that monitors the capital and dispatches police.

The same division built the police's online complaint form. If you need to report a crime or complain about police service in the capital, the steps are in how to complain to Islamabad Police online. Road and mobile service disruptions around the city this week are covered in the Islamabad road closures and the mobile internet suspension.

Common questions

What is the fine for damaging a Safe City camera in Islamabad?

Up to Rs 2 million for each damaged camera or piece of surveillance equipment, according to the President's House statement of 26 September 2026.

Can protest organisers be fined for damaged cameras?

Yes, according to the statement. Organisers of rallies, sit-ins, protests and strikes may be held responsible for damage during the gathering.

How do I appeal a Safe City damage fine?

Appeal to the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, within 30 days of the officer's decision, according to the statement.

Does the ordinance apply in Lahore or Karachi?

No. It covers Islamabad Capital Territory only. Provincial Safe City projects are under provincial rules.

Is the ordinance permanent?

No. A federal ordinance lapses after 120 days unless Parliament passes it or extends it once, under Article 89 of the Constitution.

Last checked and sources

Last checked on 26 September 2026. The ordinance's name, the Rs 2 million per item ceiling, liability for inciting damage and for organisers of gatherings, the hearing before an authorised officer, the 30-day appeal to the District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, recovery as arrears of land revenue, the use of the money, and the President's approval on the Prime Minister's advice are all from a statement by the President's House, as quoted consistently in the Pakistani press on 26 September 2026. We could not find the statement or the ordinance on the Press Information Department, President's Secretariat or Pakistan Code websites on that date. The 120-day life of an ordinance is from Article 89 of the Constitution. The description of Safe City Islamabad is from the Islamabad Police website. The postponement of the PTI march is as announced by the party and reported.