anic buttons” have been installed at 68 different locations in the provincial capital as part of the Peshawar safe city project.

The News on Sunday spoke with top police officials, journalists and lay citizens to get their views on this development.

While some people welcomed the installation of panic buttons hoping that the initiative will help reduce the incidence of street crime, others said that a project of this scale would require several kinds of resources and may be hard to sustain.

Dr Kalim Imam, a former inspector general of police, said, “The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are gradually becoming ready for digital policing, particularly in the urban centres such as Peshawar, where smartphone use, internet access and public demand for modern services are steadily increasing.” He said IGP Zulfiqar Hameed was highly regarded for his professionalism, integrity and operational commitment.
“Women, students, commuters and vulnerable segments of society can particularly benefit from initiatives such as the panic buttons, emergency applications, CCTV monitoring, integrated command systems and quicker response mechanisms.”
Low public trust in policing institutions, uneven digital literacy and privacy concerns and delays could affect the effectiveness of such initiatives. Institutional capacity-building, training and continuity of governance reforms remain essential for sustainable implementation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may be considered partially ready for digital policing. The success of such projects will depend more on governance, institutional performance, operational accountability and public trust than on technology alone.

Panic response systems and FIR registration involve different operational mechanisms. A panic button is designed for immediate emergency response through centralised monitoring, GPS tracking, integrated communication systems and rapid deployment teams. FIR registration on the other hand involves legal, evidentiary and procedural processes at police stations.
A significant measure of success will therefore not be the technology itself, but whether it can improve accountability, response times, supervision, transparency and public confidence.

If emergency calls are handled professionally, promptly and consistently, such systems can help restore public trust and strengthen citizen-police relations. Else, people may view them as merely another technological layer without meaningful reform. Technology can only complement institutional reform, not substitute it.
“The chief minister has demonstrated significant ownership of the safe city project, projecting it as a flagship initiative of the provincial government and allocating substantial financial resources for its implementation,” says Dr Imam. “He has directed that the safe city model be gradually extended to other districts, including the merged tribal districts.

“Under the project, seven IT professionals have joined the Safe City initiative. 15 more technical professionals are in the process of recruitment.” [Why are we not quoting a current police official?]
Following the approval of the Safe City Authority, a dedicated and permanent human resource structure will become available for safe city operations and digital policing functions.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may be considered partially ready for digital policing. The success of such projects will depend more on governance, institutional performance, operational accountability and public trust than on technology alone.

Specialist workers will be essential for the effective management of surveillance systems, emergency response coordination, data analysis, cyber support, system maintenance and the long-term sustainability of digital policing initiatives in the province.
“Let me add that IGP Zulfiqar Hameed served with me on three different occasions. I found him a professional, result-oriented and driven police officer. He is a doer, not a mere dreamer. I am confident that under his leadership the safe city and digital policing initiatives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will move forward with seriousness, professionalism and institutional commitment,” he said.

Ahsan Younas, managing director of Punjab Safe Cities Authority told TNS, “Panic buttons have been working in Lahore for eight years. 2,200 new panic buttons have been installed over the last two years.”

Ahsan Younas, the man behind digital and AI-driven policing in the country, has served as CPO Rawalpindi from 2019 to 2021 and Islamabad IG from 2021 to 2022.

Idrees Khan, a former DIG of the KP Police said, “panic button means police activation to prevent crime. A panic button system is part of predictive policing. We try here to stop a crime before it happens.

“Citizen participation is the key consideration. Without it, the system will struggle to produce the desirable results,” he said.
It has been pointed out that the police will also need to be prepared also for dealing some false activation. Some people might push the button to mislead the police or simply out of curiosity.

He said dedicated recruitments for this system had yet to start.

He said the provincial government’s political ownership was obvious.
Jahanzeb, an ASI in the KP Police said, panic buttons could be very effective in emergency situations. “If a citizen faces a threat and they do not have internet or money to make a call to the police, they can simply press the panic button. Once the button is pressed, the police assess the situation with the help of Safe City cameras in the vicinity and help is dispatched to the site.”

Zahirullah, a journalist, said, “Panic buttons have so far been installed only in the downtown areas.” He said this system needs to be extended to all parts of the city and other big cities as well. He hoped that this initiative will prove an effective intervention.

Habibullah, a citizen, said, “I have never felt the need to press this button but it seems to be a good idea.”

Lehaz Ali, a journalist based in Peshawar, said the system was put in place about two months ago. “People of the city have a mixed reaction to this development.
It is a good idea, but such initiatives risk being taken for granted after a while. Public awareness about this new system is essential. The government has to ensure that these buttons are always in working order and e-literacy among the general public grows.”

Abu Bakkar, another journalist, was sceptial. “I have seen it in the Punjab. The panic buttons have done little in Lahore to improve security. I am afraid the experience in Pshawar may be no better,” he said.

Ahsan Raza, a newspaper editor in Lahore said, “For all its pomp and ceremony, my personal experience has not inspired confidence. Someone stole side mirrors of my car from next to my house in Gulberg. The safe city cameras were unable to spot the thief.”

Islamabad Police IG Syed Nasir Rizvi declined to comment on the development.

Dr Hassan Shehzad teaches development support communication at International Islamic University, Islamabad. He tweets @HassanShehzadZ

Sheraz Ahmed Sherazi is a freelance journalist