Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has connected its surveillance drones and anti-drone equipment to the Safe City Peshawar Command and Control Centre, creating a central point for monitoring aerial feeds from police operations across the province. The change, described by senior Safe Cities officials on 31 October 2026, is intended to improve coordination and help officers respond to hostile drone activity.
The development is more than a new camera feed. It brings aerial surveillance, counter-drone equipment and the province’s central monitoring infrastructure into a more coordinated system. But officials have also acknowledged that weak internet connectivity in some areas remains a practical limitation.
What has changed in the KP police drone network?
Police surveillance drones operating in different parts of the province can now transmit live video to the Safe City Peshawar control centre during field operations. The centre can monitor feeds from police and Counter Terrorism Department activity, allowing senior officers to receive information from the field and coordinate support.
Officials have also linked anti-drone systems to the central network. These systems are intended to detect and help neutralise hostile quadcopters and other unauthorised aerial threats. The stated objective is to improve situational awareness rather than rely only on separate teams working with disconnected equipment.
Which districts have anti-drone systems?
Officials said modern anti-drone systems have been deployed in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu. Anti-drone guns have also been provided to police personnel working in remote and sensitive areas.
This district list describes the locations where anti-drone systems have been deployed. It should not be read as proof that every area of the province has identical equipment or uninterrupted live-video coverage. The wider network is designed to receive feeds from police surveillance drones operating across KP, but connectivity and field conditions can affect what reaches the control room.
Why central monitoring matters
When aerial video is available at a central command centre, officers can compare information from different teams, follow developments during an operation and share a common operational picture. That can support coordination between district police, specialised units and senior command.
KP Police has also established a specialised unit of personnel trained in unmanned aerial vehicle operations. Officials describe it as the first division of its kind within a Pakistani police department. Its stated training areas include drone operation, aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, protection of sensitive installations and support for high-risk operations.
The connectivity problem is still real
The biggest publicly acknowledged constraint is internet access in some parts of the province, a challenge also relevant to Pakistan’s wider satellite-based connectivity and early-warning plans. The Safe Cities project director said work was under way with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) to address connectivity challenges.
This matters because a central monitoring system is only as useful as the information it can receive. A drone may be operating in the field, but a live feed cannot be assumed to reach Peshawar continuously if the communications link is weak or unavailable. The practical test will be whether the system can deliver reliable information across different terrain and operating conditions.
What should residents and policymakers watch?
The network may strengthen police coordination, but technology alone does not guarantee better public safety. Its value will depend on training, maintenance, clear operating procedures and accountability for how surveillance information is collected and used.
- Coverage: Authorities should explain which districts and operations can reliably transmit live feeds.
- Reliability: Connectivity gaps, equipment downtime and maintenance arrangements will affect performance.
- Data safeguards: Clear rules should govern who can access footage, how long it is retained and how misuse is investigated.
- Public accountability: Regular reporting on system performance can help distinguish measurable improvements from broad claims about technology.
For wider context on technology and public safety, see Verity Pakistan’s explainer on Pakistan’s satellite early-warning system and how it could strengthen disaster preparedness.
The integration gives KP Police a more connected platform for aerial monitoring and counter-drone response. Whether it produces a lasting improvement will depend on dependable connectivity, trained personnel and transparent safeguards—not simply the presence of more equipment.
Featured image: Tasha Kostyuk via Unsplash. Illustrative image, not a photograph of the KP Safe City centre.