Karachi's e-challan riddled with errors

KARACHI: The newly launched electronic challan (e-challan) system of the Sindh traffic police has come under fire after a citizen reported major errors.

An affected citizen told Geo News on Thursday that he received an e-challan despite never committing any traffic violation. “The number plate shown in the photo is different from the one written in text on the same challan,” he said, calling it a glaring error.

He added that the challan stated he was fined Rs2,500 for riding without a helmet at 9:45am near Clifton’s Teen Talwar — while he was at home in Scheme 33 at that exact time.

The e-challan also carried six demerit points against his name. The citizen expressed concern that if such digital mistakes persist, “who will ordinary people turn to for help?”

According to traffic police officials, the number of e-challans issued in Karachi over the last three days has surged to 12,942. On the first day alone, 2,622 e-challans were issued within six hours, followed by 4,301 on the second day and 5,979 on the third.

Following growing criticism, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed traffic authorities to waive motorists’ first e-challan as a goodwill gesture, while warning that repeat offenders would face strict action.

Meanwhile, in the Sindh Assembly, Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq submitted a resolution demanding an immediate review of the e-challan system.

He termed the heavy fines “unjust” and called for the withdrawal of the notification imposing Rs5,000 penalties on motorcyclists. “Karachi’s roads are broken, signboards are missing, yet citizens are being punished — this must stop,” he said.

Separately, the Markazi Muslim League filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court, challenging the legality of the e-challan system. The petition names the Sindh government, DIG Traffic, and NADRA among the respondents, claiming that citizens are being threatened with the blocking of their identity cards for non-payment of fines.

“The entire city’s infrastructure lies in ruins; imposing such heavy fines is nothing less than an ordeal for Karachi’s residents,” the petition stated, questioning why fines in Karachi are Rs5,000 while in Lahore they are just Rs200. The petitioners have urged the court to fix the case for urgent hearing.