After the implementation of the e-challan system in Karachi, millions of traffic fines have already been issued to motorists. However, despite advanced surveillance, street criminals, target killers, and those stealing manhole covers continue to operate beyond the reach of these cameras—causing deep concern among citizens and raising questions about the effectiveness of the system.
According to police officials, under the Safe City project, several modern number-plate reading and facial-recognition cameras have been installed across Karachi to control not only traffic violations but also crime through an integrated surveillance network.
The e-challan system mainly relies on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV cameras, which capture images or videos of violations and automatically issue a digital challan based on vehicle ownership data. Each challan is accompanied by visual evidence to ensure transparency.
Authorities say that under the Safe City mechanism, facial recognition technology is also being used for identifying wanted and absconding suspects, and in some cases, police have claimed arrests using this technology.
However, official figures show that nearly 59,000 incidents of street crime have been reported this year, including thousands of mobile phones, vehicles, and motorcycles being snatched or stolen, while the arrest rate of such offenders remains extremely low. This gap has raised concerns as to why criminals continue to escape despite the availability of modern surveillance technology.
Similarly, target killers and individuals involved in stealing manhole covers also remain out of the system’s reach, leading to fatal accidents and further questioning the real capacity of surveillance measures.
Attempts were made to contact Karachi Traffic Police and the Safe City Authority to obtain updated statistics and their official stance, but neither side provided clear information, adding further doubts regarding transparency and operational performance.
