The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) clarified late on Sunday that a recent council resolution against heavy traffic e-challans had been widely misunderstood, emphasising that the measure was never formally approved.
The city council on Friday erupted in chaos over a resolution opposing the new traffic violation fines, some going up to Rs50,000, issued through the e-challan system.
The resolution raised objections to the heavy fines being issued through traffic e-challans in Karachi and called on the Sindh government to withdraw the notification.
Submitted by Opposition Leader Saeeduddin Advocate, the resolution was passed unanimously during a meeting chaired by Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad.
In its clarification, the KMC claimed that the resolution was neither properly debated nor examined. “A routine administrative mistake resulted in the document being signed, which made it look as if the resolution had been approved,” it said.
It clarified that the proposal never went through the proper steps required under council rules, so it is not valid.
The KMC said it would bring the matter back in the next council meeting, where it would be discussed properly and decided under the usual process.
A spokesperson for the opposition leader, Saifuddin Advocate, said the resolution was presented on 31 October and leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI and the PPP all spoke on it.
Notably, the disputed resolution highlighted the city’s deteriorating road infrastructure and raised concerns over discriminatory fines, urging that the e-challan notification be cancelled until cameras can effectively manage crime rates.
The Sindh government seemed uneasy after seeing how united the council was on the issue, he said, adding that a council resolution couldn’t simply be withdrawn like this and described claims of signatures being added “by mistake” as unprecedented.
The spokesperson added that Mayor Wahab should prioritise the city’s interests rather than those of the provincial government.
A milestone or bump in the road?
Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS) at the Central Police Office, marking a milestone in the province’s digital transformation and governance reforms.
The new system replaces the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as over-speeding, red light jumping and helmet non-compliance.
The system removes human discretion, confrontation and potential bias, ensuring fairness and accountability on the roads.
TRACS Sahulat centres at major traffic offices and police stations will now offer support to citizens for paying fines, clarifying violations and contesting challans.
This groundbreaking initiative is set to transform the province’s approach to traffic management, exemplifying a strong commitment to transparency, modernisation and citizen well-being.
The integration of TRACS with key government databases, including excise and taxation, the driving licence system and NADRA e-Sahulat, and modern payment gateways allows citizens to view and pay traffic fines securely online or via their mobile devices.
The TRACS app further simplifies the process, empowering users to monitor violations and settle challans in real-time.
In its initial phase, 200 cameras have been installed across Karachi, with plans to expand to 12,000 cameras city-wide and eventually to other districts in Sindh. The system’s integration with the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee ensures transparent oversight and redressal.
Riddled with errors
Despite all the hype, the TRACS 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.
