E-Challan error: Karachi citizen fined despite being nowhere near violation site

KARACHI: Serious flaws have surfaced in Karachi’s electronic traffic challan (e-challan) system after a citizen was wrongly fined for a violation he never committed، ARY News reported.

According to the details, the e-challan, issued on October 27 at around 9:45 a.m, showed a violation for riding a motorcycle without a helmet at Teen Talwar, Clifton. However, the affected citizen claimed he was at his home in Scheme 33 at the time.

The e-challan, sent based on a vehicle’s number plate, reportedly contained glaring discrepancies. The image printed on the e-challan displayed one number plate, while the alphanumeric registration mentioned was completely different. Moreover, the data for the two number plates did not match in the official records.

The erroneous e-challan also added six demerit points to the citizen’s driving record, further aggravating his distress. “I have never received a challan in my life. This false penalty has caused me severe mental stress,” the affected person said.

The Karachi citizen was fined Rs2,500 for allegedly riding without a helmet. He questioned the credibility of the e-challan system, asking, “If such serious errors are happening in electronic challans, where can citizens turn for justice?”

The incident has raised fresh concerns over the accuracy, transparency, and verification mechanisms of the e-challan system recently introduced in Karachi.

Earlier, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging the implementation of the e-challan system in Karachi, ARY News reported.

The petition names the Chief Secretary, Sindh government, Inspector General of Police, DIG Traffic, NADRA, the Excise Department, and other institutions as respondents.

The petitioner argued that Karachi’s infrastructure is in a state of disrepair, with citizens lacking basic facilities, yet they are being subjected to heavy fines under the e-challan system.

It further stated that threatening to block citizens’ national identity cards over unpaid challans amounts to a violation of fundamental rights.

Comparing penalties across cities, the petitioner questioned why traffic fines in Lahore are as low as Rs200, while in Karachi they reach up to Rs5,000.

The plea urged the court to declare such discriminatory and excessive penalties illegal and to direct authorities to first improve Karachi’s infrastructure before penalizing citizens.