SHC allows ban on bike riding on Muharram 9, 10

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court(SHC)has given permission to the Sindh government to impose a ban on bike riding on the 9th and 10th of Muharram in sensitive areas following a notification, while dismissing the request to impose the ban till the 11th of Muharram.

The Sindh court ordered that areas where the ban would be enforced and its duration should be announced.

During the hearing of the application filed by the provincial government in the SHC, seeking permission to impose a ban on bike riding during Muharram, SHC Chief Justice Musheer Alam said that the government could not impose the ban on working days as a large number of the people motorcycles as a mode of transport.

Sindh Additional Chief Secretary (home) Waseem Ahmed and Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fateh Malik were present in court where the chief justice heard their arguments.

In the petition, Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fateh Malik said that intelligence reports say that Majlis, processions and important personalities were under threat in the coming days which is why the provincial government was seeking a ban on motorcycle riding.

Meanwhile, in its order the SHC said that a complete ban could not be placed on motorcycle riding as activity of bikes and parking within the vicinity of the Imam Bargah’s and Majlis could be controlled.

While speaking to the media, Additional Advocate General Sindh Adnan Karim said that according to the court’s order a ban on motorcycle riding could be imposed in sensitive areas, while children, the elderly, women and journalists would enjoy immunity from the ban.