LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the chief traffic officer (CTO) to take strict action against those riding motorcycles without helmet and also start imposing fine on violators from Sept 23.

The court issued the order on a petition moved by social worker Abdullah Malik and directed the CTO to launch a helmet wearing awareness campaign before starting action against the violators.

Petitioner’s counsel Azhar Siddiqui argued that traffic rules were being ignored in the city resulting in increase in the number of road accidents. He said driving licences were being issued to influential persons in violation of merit.

During the hearing, CTO retired Capt Liaquat also appeared before the court and said the traffic police had launched a helmet wearing campaign in past but people did not cooperate.

The court ordered the CTO to launch helmet wearing campaign from Sept 12 to 23 before starting imposing fine of Rs1,000 on each violator.

CRACKDOWN: Declaring use of helmet mandatory for pillion rider too, the city traffic police planned a massive crackdown on motorcyclists from Sept 23.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the chief traffic officer said the use of helmet was mandatory for the motorcycle driver as well as the pillion rider and no one would be spared for not following the new directions.

He said the crackdown would be launched on the instructions of court.

SEED ACT: The Lahore High Court referred a matter to the federal government with respect to the Pakistan Seed Act (Amended) 2015 to decide whether to make changes in the law or to keep it intact.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi asked an assistant attorney general that in case the new government decided to keep the law intact and in the same manner then the case would be decided on merit on Oct 11.

Human Voice, a non-government organisation, had filed the petition for the protection of the farmers’ rights.

Its counsel Sheraz Zaka contended that the impugned amended Seed Act was passed without the approval of the cabinet and in violation of Article 144 of the Constitution. He said the Act deprived the farmers of their traditional farming practices and instead the multinational corporations had been accommodated to protect their genetic breeding practices, which was contagious to the environment and harmful for the national economy.

He pointed out that under the impugned new law, the farmers would be fined and imprisoned for preserving, selling and exchanging seeds, a traditional practice for centuries. He said it would badly affect local farmers who were procuring and using the seed according to our soil.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2018