All You Need to Know About Drone Technology in Pakistan

City Traffic Police (CTP) Lahore have recently conducted a survey in which drone cameras were used to monitor traffic on the infamous Mall Road. From road obstructions to the number of vehicles and alternative routes, everything was observed and recorded in the results. It turned out to be a successful survey.

In the initial phase of this traffic monitoring and surveillance initiative, Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Road, Ferozepur Road, and Dir Model Road will be surveyed by drone cameras. 

The Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Muntazir Mehdi said that the drone technology was expected to improve the city’s traffic management system by closely monitoring the incidents involving violations of traffic rules and other related issues.

Update (Feb 28, 2022):

RULES FOR FLYING DRONES IN PAKISTAN BY CAA

Every drone flight in Pakistan is subjected to a certain set of rules by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). These regulations may vary for different categories of drones. Well, in case you don’t know, these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been classified into five different categories, according to their weight and size. For your reference, we have detailed each of the categories with its respective weight limit in the table below:

• You are only allowed to fly Class-I and Class-II drones up to 200 feet above the ground. Also, these lightweight UAVs should only be flown on the operator’s property. 
• The operators and owners of Class-III, Class-IV, and Class-V UAVs need to obtain the Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA) and Remote Pilot Operator License (RPOL) — and fly their drones according to the regulations set by the concerned authorities.
• You are also not allowed to fly a drone above or near a sensitive area including a nuclear power plant, law enforcement facilities, government buildings, red zones, and military bases.
• UAVs should not be flown within an 18.5-kilometer radius of an airfield as well as within a distance of two kilometers of the national border. 
• Public roads, flyovers, and expressways are also off-limits. This means they can’t be used as a take-off and landing ground for drones unless you have obtained formal approval from a relevant local authority.

Update (March 19, 2021): The National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) has recently started using drone technology to monitor traffic. According to this initiative, all the major highways and motorways around the country will be monitored by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

The Motorway Police has already issued its very first challan for a traffic violation incident using drone technology, which is a major achievement. According to a recent news article from a renowned publication, the introduction of drone technology is a part of a large-scale modernization drive that focuses on digitally enhancing the system and performance of the National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) in coming years.

A drone, which is also known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or a UAV, is a flying robot that is operated with remote control. However, it can also be programmed to fly autonomously with the help of software-controlled flight plans. The drone technology is equipped with an advanced GPS tracking system, which helps it navigate during an autonomous flight. 

These flying robots have revolutionized global industries since they are very cheap and can be controlled from anywhere. The drone missions are very helpful in mapping difficult-to-reach locations and undertaking rescue operations. 

Like many other countries, the use of drone technology has evidently increased in Pakistan these days. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being used by corporate, industrial, and commercial sectors. However, with the proper implementation of policies, UAVs can also benefit the agricultural sector of the country. 

So, to give a proper direction to the growth and awareness of drone technology in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently permitted the establishment of the Civil Drone Authority. The authority will define and regulate the policies regarding the use of drone technology in the country as well as paving grounds for the domestic manufacturing of UAVs. 

In this blog, we are going to take a closer look at the newly-proposed Civil Drone Authority in Pakistan as well as the scope of usage of drones in different walks of life.

Now, without further ado, let’s get started!

PM APPROVES THE FORMATION OF CIVIL DRONE AUTHORITY IN PAKISTAN

As per the news article from a renowned publication, this new authority will govern all the matters related to importing, manufacturing, and licensing drone technology as well as regulating the permits of its usage.

The formation of this authority is to address any issues that may be caused due to the absence of laws and regulations regarding the use of drones in Pakistan. Moreover, another major objective behind the establishment of this regulatory authority focuses on the development and production of drone technology in the country, which will be beneficial in terms of cost-cutting and promoting the local industrial sector.

Emphasizing the importance of the use of drone technology, PM Imran Khan said that promoting and encouraging the use of UAVs in different walks of life is the “need of the hour”. The proposed regulatory authority will be headed by the Secretary of the Aviation Division and will have top-level representatives from the Pakistan Air Force, Civil Aviation, Interior Ministry, Defence Production, and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has released further details about the formation of this regulatory authority for the unmanned aircraft system in Pakistan on Twitter. Terming the “establishment of the Civil Drone Authority” as a “milestone achieved”, here’s what the minister said in his official tweet:

MORE ABOUT THE USES OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Drones are easy to fly around and can do many tasks easily that were once considered humanly impossible before. A high-end consumer drone in Pakistan, which has become insanely popular these days, comes with a remote control range of 4-8 kilometres. Aviation authorities around the world recommend flying these unmanned airborne vehicles below 400 feet. 

Originally developed for military and aerospace purposes, these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are now widely used for photography, mapping of cityscapes, geological surveys, wildlife, and historical conservation projects.

The real estate sector of Pakistan is also using drone technology very effectively. Hovering these UAVs in the vicinity of real estate projects helps the developers to have clear and high-definition visuals of the construction site from a bird’s eye view. It also aids them and the property investors in keeping a constant check on the on-ground progress of their project.