KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Wednesday defended the province’s new e-challan system, describing it as a “bitter but necessary” reform aimed at saving lives by enforcing traffic discipline, even as Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) took the matter to the Sindh High Court (SHC), calling the initiative arbitrary and punitive.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Memon said the provincial government introduced the automated fine system to ensure compliance with traffic rules, insisting the measure was in the public interest. “This is a bitter decision, but it will ultimately protect precious lives,” he said.
The e-challan system, formally launched last month after being approved in June, delivers digital traffic violation notices to vehicle owners at their registered home addresses. While officials describe it as a step toward smarter traffic management, the rollout has triggered a mixed public response.
Memon said two prominent businessmen had personally called to appreciate the initiative. He noted that more than 20,000 tickets had been issued since the system went live, and that some motorists had their first offences pardoned after appeals.
Drawing comparisons with international laws, he remarked that in other countries, driving against the flow of traffic can result in imprisonment and vehicle impoundment for several years. “Our goal is not to penalise citizens but to protect them through enforcement,” he added.
Responding to criticism about Karachi’s crumbling road infrastructure, Memon said the provincial chief minister had directed all local authorities to expedite improvement projects. “By March, several key developments will be completed,” he assured, citing the Shahrah-i-Bhutto project as a major upgrade expected to ease city traffic once it connects to the M9 Motorway.
Regarding legal challenges, Memon said political parties and citizens had every right to approach courts, but the government would stand by its policy.
Earlier in the day, Jamaat-i-Islami filed a petition in the Sindh High Court challenging the e-challan initiative, arguing that the AI-based system imposes “excessive and discriminatory” fines without addressing basic road infrastructure and administrative gaps.
The plea was filed by JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan, City Council Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin, and MPA Muhammad Farooq against the Sindh government, its home and excise departments, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, and Traffic DIG Peer Muhammad Shah.
The petition, moved under Article 199 of the Constitution, claimed the new system was implemented through “an arbitrary notification” that failed to ensure essential prerequisites such as proper traffic signs, speed limits, zebra crossings, and efficient ownership verification mechanisms.
It stated that the automated system, run via AI-powered cameras, issues challans to registered vehicle owners regardless of who was driving at the time of the offence — a flaw compounded by outdated and corruption-prone procedures in the excise department that often leave ownership records incomplete.
The petition alleged that recent hikes in fines — in some cases up to 1,000 percent — and penalties such as blocking national identity cards, suspending driving licences, and impounding vehicles amounted to punishment without due process.
It further pointed to Karachi’s deteriorating road conditions, missing signage, and chaotic traffic diversions due to ongoing construction projects, including the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit corridor, as major obstacles to fair enforcement.
The petitioners requested the SHC to suspend the operation of the e-challan notification and halt penalties until the case is decided, arguing that implementing the AI-based system without adequate infrastructure and safeguards was “illegal and unconstitutional.”
