KP Police Drone Surveillance Goes Province-Wide
KP police drone surveillance has moved beyond Peshawar. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have linked anti-drone systems and surveillance drones operating across the province to the Safe City Peshawar Command and Control Centre, so live feeds from police drones can now be watched from one central room.
The step was announced by KP Safe Cities Project Director Deputy Inspector General Ijaz Ahmad at a news conference at the Command and Control Centre. He said the integration covers drones flown during field operations and offensives against terrorists by the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
What KP police drone surveillance now covers
With Safe City cameras and anti-drone systems linked together, live video from a police drone anywhere in the province can reach the central centre. Senior officers can watch an operation as it unfolds and pass instructions to the field team without waiting for a later report.
Hostile quadcopters and drones will be spotted promptly under the new system, DIG Ahmad said, and they can also be neutralised. Anti-drone systems installed in Peshawar and other cities have been connected to the centre, and live monitoring of CTD operations across the province has become possible. That link, he said, helps information reach decision makers in time to matter.
Modern anti-drone systems have already been deployed in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu districts. Anti-drone guns have also been given to police personnel in remote and sensitive areas. The choice of districts reflects where the threat sits: the southern districts have faced repeated attacks on police and security personnel, and aerial cover there can protect patrols, watch roads and support operations.
A new UAV division, the first of its kind
Alongside the technology, the KP police have set up a specialised human resource division trained in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) combat. Officials described it as the first division of its kind set up by a police department in the country.
The personnel have been trained in drone operation, aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, counterterrorism, protection of sensitive installations and the use of UAV technology in high-risk operations. They are also able to conduct electronic warfare against hostile UAVs, according to an official quoted in the report.
The division was created because militant use of drones has changed. Their use has moved from surveillance and ammunition drops towards swarm attacks, the report said. Police planners concluded that buying equipment was not enough on its own, and that trained operators were needed to run it and to judge what an alert means.
Why this update matters after the Peshawar launch
This announcement builds on an earlier step reported on this site, when Peshawar Safe City linked a drone unit and an anti-drone system to its central command. That launch covered the city network and four districts. The new step widens the same system to the whole province, adds Tank to the list of districts, and adds a trained division to operate it.
The internet gap that still needs fixing
What happens next
Frequently asked questions
What has the KP police linked to the Safe City centre?
The police have linked anti-drone systems and surveillance drones operating across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the Safe City Peshawar Command and Control Centre, so live drone video and anti-drone alerts reach one central room.
Which districts have anti-drone systems?
Anti-drone systems have been deployed in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu districts, and anti-drone guns have been given to personnel in remote and sensitive areas.
What is the new UAV division?
It is a specialised division of personnel trained in UAV combat, including drone operation, aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, counterterrorism, protection of sensitive installations and electronic warfare against hostile drones. Officials described it as the first of its kind set up by a police department in the country.
What problem remains for the system?
Lack of internet connectivity in some areas remains a challenge for live video feeds. Steps are being taken with Suparco to address the issue, according to DIG Ijaz Ahmad.
