KARACHI — A city resident has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against what he calls the “excessive and discriminatory” traffic fines recently enforced across Karachi.
The petitioner, Johar Abbas, argued that the fines under the new e-ticketing system are far higher in Sindh than in other provinces, particularly Punjab. Citing an example, he said that a traffic violation carrying a penalty of just Rs200 in Lahore now costs up to Rs5,000 in Karachi a 25-fold increase that he termed “unreasonable and unjustified.”
In his plea, Abbas requested the court to immediately suspend the newly imposed fines, calling them “burdensome” and “beyond the financial capacity of ordinary citizens.” He maintained that while traffic laws should promote discipline, penalties must remain proportionate and consistent across the country.
The Sindh Chief Secretary, Inspector General (IG) of Police, DIG Traffic, Director General of Excise and Taxation, and the Director General of NADRA have all been named as respondents in the case. The petitioner has urged the SHC to seek justification from these officials and ensure the fines are reviewed in the interest of fairness.
The Sindh government, under Section 121-A of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965, recently introduced a revised fine and demerit point system across the province. The new schedule includes significantly higher penalties for violations such as overspeeding, signal jumping, wrong-way driving, and driving without a valid licence.
According to Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, the fine for overspeeding is now Rs5,000 for motorcycles, Rs15,000 for cars, and Rs20,000 for heavy transport vehicles. Driving without a licence could result in a Rs50,000 penalty and six demerit points, while reckless driving may attract a Rs25,000 fine and eight points.
“Our objective is not to generate revenue but to save lives,” Memon emphasized, adding that dangerous behaviors like overspeeding and one-wheeling will be met with zero tolerance.
