Islamabad: The government recently announced its decision to constitute a Drone Regulatory Authority (DRA) in a bid to effectively utilize the remote-control surveillance technology in various fields, a news source reported on December 22.
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry expressed his views on the matter during a meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. The minister further apprised the premier regarding the formulation of a drone policy.
He stated that the drone technology would prove useful for monitoring agriculture (including seeding, and spraying) and urban planning initiatives in addition to facilitating security agencies in maintaining airborne surveillance.
In response, PM Khan directed the minister to set up a committee which will be responsible for devising the modalities for the proposed DRA. The body is expected to submit a draft to the prime minister within a month.
Previously, the authorities concerned had formulated a draft policy on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as drones, model aircrafts, quadcopters and balloons. Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had stated that the ministry concerned would present the document to the federal cabinet for its approval.
