In light of security concerns, using drones is prohibited in Karachi’s south area

The Karachi commissioner has prohibited the deployment of drone cameras in the area south of the port city for two months in response to an attack on Chinese people in Pakistan, claiming “threats to vital installations, and Chinese Consulate.”

The Chinese Consulate and critical sites in Karachi are safe thanks to specific steps implemented by the government “under Section 144 CrPC,” which gives the relevant authorities the authority to forbid the deployment of drone cameras.

In response to recent attacks on Chinese nationals, “it has been reported that there are serious threats to Chinese Consulate, Karachi and vital installations by the anti-state elements/hostile agencies. Therefore, it is necessary to take immediate measures to avoid any mishaps & to maintain law and order situation in the city,” Commissioner Muhammad Saleem Rajput said in a notification on Saturday.

As a result, the senior officer used the authority granted to him by Sindh’s home department to prohibit drones in Karachi’s district south for a fortnight, starting today and ending on May 29.

In the meanwhile, in the event of any infraction, the Station House Officers (SHOs) of the relevant police stations are authorized to file complaints under Section 188 PPC.

The attack on their car in Shangla Besham city on March 26 resulted in the deaths of at least six persons, five of whom were Chinese nationals.

In Dasu, the location of a significant dam, attacks on Chinese nationals have occurred before; in 2021, an explosion claimed the lives of 13 people, nine of them were Chinese nationals.

With Beijing investing over $65 billion in infrastructure works as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) within Beijing larger Belt and Road program, Chinese engineers are now working on a number of projects in Pakistan.

Neither the attack in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday nor the attack in 2021 had a claimant.