[Reader-list] Karachi under surveillance!

[Harsh Kapoor]

The News on Sunday (Pakistan)
13 October 2002

Karachi under surveillance!

By Rubina Jabbar

Installation of security cameras with FBI's help in Pakistan's 
largest city has brought forth the question of civil liberties in the 
country and their protection after 9/11

According to a report in The News of September 25th, US intelligence 
agency FBI is installing 3,216 close-circuit cameras in Karachi while 
13, 000 such cameras will be installed later in other parts of the 
country. The report has raised concerns in many quarters for the 
respect of civil liberties of Pakistani citizens.

Though people have generally welcomed the security cameras as they 
have greatly been facilitating security agencies in the developed 
countries to check crime and apprehend culprits in cases of theft, 
arson, road accidents and other events, they oppose the involvement 
of a foreign agency in the whole affair.

According to public opinion, the job should be executed by our own 
people and not by foreigners as it would not help control terrorism 
and crime but complicate the matters.

"It's just like putting a device on every citizen, and it will not 
help control terrorism," said Dr Riaz Ahmed of Karachi University. 
"Instead, it will terrorise people by making them feel as if they are 
being watched." He warned that terrorism would become more lethal and 
sophisticated after employing such tactics, and it would be a very 
dangerous development.

"Security cannot and must not take precedence over human rights," 
said Syed Shamsuddin of Amnesty International. "We must not allow 
fundamental freedoms to be eroded." Shamsuddin quoted Article 12 of 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says: "No one shall be 
subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or 
correspondence." He said that a number of governments all over the 
world rushed through legislation and other 'anti terrorism' measures 
in the name of security after 9/11. These measures include indefinite 
detention without trial, special courts, cultural and religious 
restrictions and interference in personal privacy.

"Amnesty International urges all governments that respect for human 
rights encompasses not only universally but also the indivisibility 
of all rights," Shamsuddin added.

"If the purpose of these cameras is to snub terrorists and check the 
movement of drugs, arsenal and weapons, they should be installed at 
ports, airports and railway stations, and not in cities or at public 
places. It would be against people's fundamental right to freedom and 
privacy," said Jawed Iqbal Barqi, a senior advocate.

Expressing reservations over the involvement of FBI he said they 
should provide Pakistan's security forces training and equipment, but 
they should not be allowed to take over the job themselves. The 
constitutions of almost all developed countries ensure right to 
movement and privacy to their citizens, Barqi informed. "Installing 
hundreds of cameras by a foreign agency is tantamount to direct 
interference in the affairs of a country only to protect their own 
interests," commented Abdul Hayee, an HRCP activist. "The move will 
be considered a direct intervention of America in our affairs, if it 
materialises," he said. It should be up to the Government of Pakistan 
to decide what to do and how to deal with the terrorist threat, and 
not outsiders, he observed.

Ishak Soomro of Sindh Journalists' Network (SJN) said that 
surveillance cameras in developed countries have greatly been 
facilitating security agencies in nabbing offenders quickly in cases 
of road accidents or other crimes; therefore, we should welcome it as 
it would ensure security and check the loss of precious human lives. 
"We should welcome FBI's co-operation in launching the operation, but 
they should not take over the whole operation," Soomro said.

"Why this hue and cry when the movement of citizens is already being 
monitored at places like banks, hotels, shopping plazas, airports and 
the Karachi Press Club," commented a concerned citizen who wished not 
to be named. "Terrorist threat is invisible,which requires an 
invisible security," he said adding that security agencies should 
improve strategy and infrastructure. "We saw roadblocks and extra 
numbers of police guarding foreign missions and five-star hotels 
after bomb attacks while other sensitive spots remain unguarded. 
Security was increased at churches in the city after attacks in 
Bahawalpur and Islamabad, but vulnerable places were left unguarded, 
which resulted in the killing of seven innocent Christians at Idarae 
Amno Insaf," he observed. In Sri Lanka, Tamil Tigers used a different 
strategy in each new attack and even struck at the air bases while 
the Sri Lankan government was busy guarding buildings in cities, he 
pointed out.

America has made itself so powerful that it thinks that increased 
State power is the answer to crush every problem disregarding the 
fact that what has currently been happening against it around the 
world is the result of its policy in the Middle East and 
Afghanistan," said Dr Ahmed.

"After installing hi-tech top of the line computer system-PISCES-at 
Karachi and more recently at Lahore Airport to check the US-wanted 
citizens boarding international flights, the FBI is going to install 
close-circuit cameras (CCs) at selective spots in Karachi to monitor 
the movement of suspects," said the news report. According to it, in 
the first leg, 3,216 CCs will be installed in Karachi while 
installations of more than 13,000 such cameras will be completed 
later in other parts of the country.

The report further said that the FBI team stationed at a specific 
place in Karachi was busy in locating and identifying the spots and 
localities, which are suspected to be frequently used by the 
terrorists.

Though it would be a new phenomenon in Pakistan to have such a wide 
ranging network spread over the entire city, there are certain 
localities, particularly five-star hotels, big shopping plazas and 
other sensitive buildings, where the system is already functional.

Earlier, the computer system called PISCES--which is directly 
connected with the FBI data bank and the newly upgraded Interpol data 
store--had been installed at Karachi Airport on the insistence of the 
US following the same process at Lahore Airport. The system is 
directly connected with the FBI data bank through satellite for 
instant transmission and retrieval of information to check more than 
4,000 al Qaeda activists, those who are on the government's Exit 
Control List (ECL) or any US wanted citizen boarding international 
flights.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Asad Jehangir Khan, expressed 
ignorance about the report and said that police with the co-operation 
of hotel associations had installed cameras at five-star hotels. He 
said that they had seriously been seeking people's co-operation in 
installing as many numbers of cameras as was possible because it 
would greatly help in prevention of crime.

He rejected the impression that the practice, in any way, would raise 
the question of civil liberties. "How could it be so when they are 
fixed on roads and not inside their homes?" he questioned.