The constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday declined to issue a temporary stay on Karachi’s newly implemented e-challan system, instead directing the DIG Traffic Police and other respondents to file detailed responses to several petitions challenging the mechanism.
The two-member bench, led by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry, heard petitions submitted by Jamaat-e-Islami, the Markazi Muslim League, the Bus Owners Associations, and a number of concerned citizens. The petitioners have questioned both the legality and the enforcement process of the fines being generated through the digital system.
A key argument raised by the petitioners’ counsel was that fines in Karachi were significantly higher than those imposed in Lahore, calling the disparity discriminatory. The bench, however, appeared unconvinced by the comparison. “Every place has its own dynamics,” one of the judges remarked, noting that Karachi’s unique circumstances made direct comparisons difficult.
Representing the bus owners, Advocate Munisf Jan told the court that buses were being prevented from picking up passengers, leaving transporters unable to operate normally. The bench responded firmly: “All buses are required to stop only at designated stops.” Jan countered that proper stops scarcely exist across the city. Justice Chaudhry — in a rare moment of candid acknowledgment — replied, “We live in this city ourselves; we know the situation.”
The court ordered that all replies be compiled and heard together, adjourning the proceedings until December 11. The petitions have named the Sindh chief secretary, the provincial government, the inspector general of police, the DIG Traffic, NADRA, the Excise Department, and other relevant departments as respondents.
Outside the courtroom, Markazi Muslim League leader Nadeem Ahmed Awan spoke to reporters, calling the e-challan fines “unjust” and accusing authorities of “extorting motorists in the name of enforcement.” He insisted that Karachi’s deteriorating road infrastructure and lack of basic traffic facilities made the current penalties unreasonable.
Awan further alleged that speed-limit signs were installed only after millions had already been collected through fines. He said his party had approached the court “on behalf of the public” and demanded that the e-challan system be suspended until the city’s traffic and road conditions are improved.
