Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO Summit
Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif visited Islamabad to look into preparations and all security arrangements for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization SCO Summit. It would also be attended by high-level delegations from many member countries and is, therefore, a very important event in the realms of regional diplomacy and cooperation.
During his visit, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials. The officials briefed him on the detailed reception plans which were ready for the dignitaries attending the summit.
PM Sharif said that the event would provide full foolproof security and logistically flawless arrangements for the guests. “The SCO Summit is an important platform for regional cooperation, and it is our responsibility to make sure that our arrangements reflect the maximum standards of hospitality and security,” he said.
Islamabad Police have come up with a comprehensive digital surveillance plan to ensure the safe passage of hundreds of delegates who are scheduled to attend the SCO summit. In developing their strategy, the observation will be real-time along all the key routes and places. This will ensure that maximum security is maintained at every point during the event.
The officials further said that scanning would be done on three principal routes—Route I, Route II, and Route III, through which the VVIPs and VIPs would be taken from the airport to their destinations. The three routes have been divided into sections under a large number of cameras.
- Route-I 188 cameras
- Route-II 149 cameras
- Route-III 138 cameras
These cameras would cover not only the routes but also the entry and exit points, parking areas, and surrounding locales. Secondly, there are two more surveillance cameras placed at two strategic venues, where delegates would gather and several lodging areas.
The Safe City Project in Islamabad had as many cameras as 3,150 to begin with. Today, there are 2,910 functioning cameras. In the recent protests, 441 cameras got damaged which resulted in Rs154 million loss for the government. So far, the authorities have been able to repair 345 such damaged cameras.
The control room for the Safe City project is to be the central coordinating place regarding the summit for all surveillance and command operations. In the control room, live feeds aggregated from the route and venue cameras and coordination with other security units will be regarding event security, traffic management, and operational control.
For faster and more immediate updates, key points are installed with wireless communication points for facilitating real-time communication. Therefore, these will directly communicate with the control room, thereby enhancing the performance of security operations.
Other than such digital surveillance, physical security measures are also being strengthened through the deployment of multiple security forces. The police have already established 20 checkposts, constituting an outer security cordon around sensitive areas. It has planned to position the Anti-Riot Force at important intersections like Chungi No. 26, Islamabad Chowk, and other busy roads to maintain order.
The APCs would be stationed at the sensitive points which include Aabpara and Khanna police stations, Serena Hotel, and other fitted vehicles with tear gas shells and high-power guns ready to quell any untimely mishaps. Security forces are also setting three pickets in Margalla Hills to survey the Damn-e-Koh, Monal, and Pir Sohawa. A couple of Dolphin Force units will survey them.
In a related move, the Regional Transport Authority in Rawalpindi has also decided to impose a three-day ban on goods vehicles, tractor trolleys, and tractors in the district from Oct 14-16. As many as 450,000 delegates are likely to throng the gathering.
The traffic diversion and restriction plans have been designed so that SCO guests face no obstacles to their travel towards destinations so that they reach there without any delay. Coordination of working authorities is being made very effective so that transport arrangements match well with the overall security blueprint of the event.
The prime minister ended the review of the preparations by expressing confidence in the team left with the responsibility to host the summit. He noted that the preparation for such a grand event would be taken as proof that the country truly intends to promote regional cooperation under the SCO’s umbrella.
The summit is not only a diplomatic opportunity for the government but marks Pakistan’s ability to host an international event of such size so efficiently. The Prime Minister visited the capital city and marked that the government was focusing on working towards making an event and a stay here safe and successful.
As the date of the summit draws closer, security agencies and relevant authorities are working day and night to ensure that the SCO event passes off without any disruptions and underlines that Pakistan remains a responsible host within the international community.
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