A crackdown has been initiated in Islamabad against those selling surgical masks at high prices amid panic in the country about the coronavirus outbreak. One man was arrested after a medical store in A-11 was raided as he was selling a Rs5 mask for Rs120. Additional Deputy Commissioner Omer Randhawa headed the raids conducted in several of Islamabad’s medical stores.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly ordered the establishment of a massive 40-acre software city in the country’s capital, Islamabad. In a meeting held with high-profile officials from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Khan discussed various ways to strengthen country’s IT sector and shared his vision to boost the nation’s IT exports to $10 billion over the long term.
Policemen with body cameras and special tablets have been posted at five different checkposts across the capital city, according to the Islamabad police. They said these cameras linked to the safe city system will record conversation between citizens and officials at pickets. The move is aimed at addressing complaints of alleged police officials’ misbehaviour with people or vice versa at checkposts and to upgrade and bring the force up to international standards.
Islamabad has improved significantly in terms of safety as well as crime prevention, according to World Crime Index 2020. The index is issued by an international organization, Numbeo has ranked the capital city 301 out of 374, while it was ranked 232 last year. The vulnerability level has decreased by 69 as higher number rank on the index means lower crime.
An Afghan national was arrested by officers of the Karachi Company police station in Islamabad for supplying drugs to university students in the capital. Police confiscated more than one kilogramme of heroin and almost 115kg of ice (methamphetamine) from the supplier. The afghan national bought huge amounts of ice powder from Peshawar to supply it to university students, according to SHO Salim Raza.
The federal government is planning to complete the extension of Metro Bus from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport within 3 months. While briefing the committee, Secretary Planning said that two parts of the new Metro route have been completed and work on the remaining two is in progress which will be completed by March 2020.
Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated a ‘science and technology park’ in Islamabad as part of his vision to transform the country into a knowledge economy. PM also mentioned that the government will give special emphasis to science and technology education and introduce modern technologies to unleash the potential of the youth. He also appreciated the initiative and assured he would provide every possible support to the university to take it forward.
The Islamabad Traffic Police is working on installing a smart signal system at the Kashmir Highway and replacing the conventional traffic signals in order to manage and monitor the city in a better way. In the first phase, the smart system will be installed at signals from G-7 to G-11 Kashmir Highway including the junction of Kashmir Highway at 7th Avenue, G-9, G-10, H-11 and G-11
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Islamabad, Waqar Uddin, has announced a police motorbike squad that will be patrolling the city. The squad will help control street crime in the the federal capital and instill confidence on the streets. Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has also announced an e-challan system as well to help facilitate the citizens.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Pakistan will be installing three new air quality monitoring systems in Islamabad. In order to increase the capital’s capacity to accurately measure the air quality, the monitors will be installed in areas with the highest industrial and vehicular emissions like Peshawar Mor, Rawat, and Taramri Chowk. EPA has prepared the project concept-I in this regard which will be sent to the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) for final approval.