The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication reviewed the security mechanisms of Islamabad’s Safe City surveillance system during a meeting, following concerns about cyber attacks on traffic camera networks in other countries.
Officials from the Safe City project briefed the committee on the cybersecurity measures in place to protect the system, while lawmakers raised concerns about the use of foreign technology and potential vulnerabilities.
During the meeting, Senator Afnanullah raised concerns about the use of foreign-developed software in the Safe City system.
He noted that many software products used globally have links to Israeli developers and warned that this could pose risks, particularly during VVIP movements.
He said hacking methods are numerous and warned that incidents such as the hacking of traffic cameras in Tehran highlight the potential dangers.
The Safe City officials informed the committee that the BriefCam software had been used in Islamabad’s Safe City cameras in 2021. They said the software had later been acquired by a Japanese company.
The committee chairperson questioned whether the company previously had an office in the Israeli city of Haifa.
Officials replied that earlier concerns had been raised because the software’s source developer was believed to be Jewish, but the company structure had changed over time.
Director General Safe City Islamabad told the committee that the Safe City camera network is fully secure.
He said firewalls have been installed to prevent cyber attacks and that the system has been secured by separating internal networks from the internet.
According to the official, the Safe City data servers and various applications used in the system are fully protected. The project also undergoes regular audits to ensure security.
He added that security agencies monitor movements of Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) under separate protocols, which are already being implemented.
The official also informed the committee that equipment procurement for the Safe City project is being carried out by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).
Senator Talha Mahmood told the committee that the Islamabad Safe City project was launched in 2009 and initially included the installation of more than 1,300 cameras.
He said that during his tenure as chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, he had investigated the company involved in the project.
According to him, the investigation revealed that the company maintained an office in Turkey but had Israeli links.
He also claimed that security officials had acknowledged during a previous meeting that the Prime Minister’s monitoring was taking place through the system.
Mahmood said monitoring signals were traced from the Diplomatic Enclave toward the Prime Minister’s House.
Director General of the National Cyber Emergency Response Team told the committee that most technology used in Pakistan originates from foreign countries.
He informed the committee that 15 software companies have so far been blacklisted and removed due to security concerns.
The committee asked officials to provide a complete list of software installed in the Islamabad Safe City system.
Members also requested a detailed technical briefing from the Safe City technical team.
The chairperson suggested that the next meeting of the committee could be held inside the Safe City control room, with representatives from the Intelligence Bureau also invited to attend.
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