JI requests SHC to suspend e-challan system until proper infrastructure, road signage are in place

The Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging the e-challan system for traffic violations in Karachi.

JI Karachi Emir Munim Zafar, and others filed a petition in the SHC, terming the system “unlawful and discriminatory.”

Advocate Usman Farooq, the petitioners' lawyer, stated that e-challans are being issued through CCTV cameras and artificial intelligence system without considering who was actually driving the vehicle at the time of the violation.

“Under this system, e-tickets are being sent directly to the vehicle owner, regardless of who committed the offence,” the lawyer argued.

He further contended that the e-challan system was launched without ensuring basic infrastructure such as proper road signs, zebra crossings, or verification of vehicle ownership records. “Many vehicles in Karachi are still being driven on letters, and due to corruption in the Excise Department, ownership transfers are often delayed,” he added.

The counsel highlighted that poor road conditions and ongoing development projects have forced citizens to take alternate or wrong routes. “At several points, traffic police themselves divert traffic to the wrong side. The Karimabad underpass has been under construction for years, while Jehangir Road and New Karachi Road are in extremely poor condition,” he said.

Calling the heavy fines “excessive and discriminatory,” the lawyer argued that minor violations are being punished with disproportionate penalties. “In Karachi, a motorcyclist is fined Rs 5,000 for overspeeding or wrong-way driving, while in Lahore the fine for the same offense is just Rs 200,” he said.

The lawyer further claimed that the e-challan system’s primary goal appears to be revenue generation rather than traffic management. “The citizens of Karachi already contribute 50% of the federal revenue and 95% of Sindh’s revenue. Imposing such heavy fines on them is discriminatory,” he added.

The petition noted that due to inadequate public transport, low-income citizens rely on motorcycles for daily commuting. “How can someone earning Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month afford such heavy fines?” the counsel questioned.

The petitioners requested the court to suspend the e-challan and declare the AI-based system illegal until proper infrastructure is in place and recognise the heavy fines as discriminatory against citizens.