KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday refused to issue an immediate restraining order in opposition to Karachi’s e-challan machine.
The court is hearing petitions filed by Jamaat-e-Islami, bus owners, and citizens who are challenging the brand new system added by the Sindh government last month to lower traffic violations.
Notices have been issued to the DIG Traffic and other concerned parties, and their replies have been summoned. The next hearing has been scheduled for December 11.
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Petitioners raised concerns over the high fines, pointing out that while a traffic challan in Lahore costs Rs200, in Karachi it is Rs5,000, calling it “unfair to Karachi citizens.”
The court responded, saying, “Don’t compare Karachi to other cities. Every city has its own challenges and dynamics.”
Bus owners’ lawyers argued that they are not allowed to pick up passengers freely. The court suggested using designated bus stops, but lawyers pointed out that proper bus stops hardly exist in Karachi. Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry replied, “We know that; we live in this city too.”
Petitioners also complained that Karachi’s roads are in poor condition, yet citizens are being fined heavily. They argued that threatening to block national identity cards over unpaid fines violates fundamental rights.
While the e-challan system has been praised by some as a step toward better traffic management, many Karachi residents are frustrated over the high fines and lack of infrastructure to support the new system.
