Over 100 arrested as Karachi traffic police cracks down on commuters going wrong way

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

More than 100 people, including two policemen and employees of the Sindh Chief Minister House, were arrested in Karachi on Tuesday as the traffic police began taking action against people travelling on the wrong side of the road.

Another 7,000 commuters were challaned as the police treated elderly violaters and violaters with families leniently by issuing tickets to them, Additional IG Karachi Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh said.

According to a traffic police spokesperson, over Rs930,000 was fined in total during today's action.

The crackdown began after AIG Shaikh ordered that commuters travelling wrong-way be arrested and their vehicles seized.

Among the first offenders caught as part of the action were two police officials, who were arrested for driving on the wrong side near Zainab Market. They were shifted to Artillery Maidan police station.

The arrests are being made under Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Pakistan Penal Code, traffic police officials told DawnNewsTV.

They said action against wrong-way goers was started in all areas after the Karachi police chief issued directions to ensure implementation of traffic rules and regulations.

Later in the evening, AIG Shaikh issued orders for the release of all violators after seeking assurance that they will "never violate [the] law again".

Two motorcyclists while talking to DawnNewsTV said they were forced to drive wrong-way because there were no u-turns on their route.

AIG Shaikh had on Monday visited several busy roads of the metropolis, and in a meeting with police officers decided to implement a plan to improve the flow of traffic on major thoroughfares.

Pakistan

Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.

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Oct 09, 2018 06:51pm

Great move by the traffic police in the wonderful city of Karachi to catch two police officials, going in the wrong direction on the road near the famous Zainab market, Saddar area. In fact, law must be the same for everybody irrespective of his or her status, position, color, race, gender, ethnicity, age, family background, influence, class, creed and association, as demonstrated by the Karachi traffic police. Well done and keep it up.

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Ahsan Gul

Oct 09, 2018 06:53pm

Good action. If COPs are violating traffic rules then we cannot blame public. Punish these offenders swiftly.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Oct 09, 2018 07:07pm

The AIG's orders are commendable but do not do justice to the travellers who have become accustomed to driving on the wrong way which has become a norm for the past many years. It will be more appropriate to warn the public and give them some time to mend their ways, this being a week or so at the most. That the traffic police encourages wrong driving is evident from just one example. The crossing on Altaf Hussain (this person was the first Muslim Editor of Dawn) Road and Shahrah-e-Liaquat is busy through out the day. There are two sign boards at the crossing going towards Denso Hall which warn the drivers that any one entering from this side will be fined Rs. One Thousand as this is a one way street for traffic coming from the Denso Hall side only. You can always find two or three policemen standing here directing traffic which gets choked at this point. No one asks any one, whether on a bike or car, not to enter as it is a one way street. There are two or three policemen stationed on the Denso Hall side too. They are least bothered by any one coming all through the wrong way upto where the road meets M. A. Jinnah Road if he is driving a bike. If a car is coming either they challan it or money changes pockets the going rate for which is rupees five hundred per car. Every one in the police department is happy as the challans show the efficiency of the police and the money collected otherwise makes the policemen happy. This is just one spot. Multiply it with thousands and you can work out the figures of earnings (non-taxable) which is earned daily by the Karachi traffic police alone.

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Omar

Oct 09, 2018 07:36pm

motorcycles taken away is very harsh. fine would have suffice.

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Jahanzeb

Oct 09, 2018 07:37pm

Finally someone got notice of such menace in Karachi streets. Going on the wrong way has become a norm in Karachi streets and this trend was growing day by day. Such traffic violations are normal in Karachi even on main roads such as Shara-e-Faisal, University road, MA Jinnah road etc. people go in wrong way and cause traffic congestion. I hope with the strict enforcement of the law traffic can be normalized. Please keep hard on law violators.

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Kamran

Oct 09, 2018 07:38pm

Good for Karachi. Traffic violation is everyday practice in Karachi. The law must be observed strictly even by law enforcers.

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Saif Sherazi

Oct 09, 2018 07:43pm

There is no excuse for going on the wrong way.

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M1 Jamal

Oct 09, 2018 07:57pm

Is it possible for the AIG Karachi to advise how many traffic challans are issued by Karachi traffic daily and on what accounts and the total amounts of challan.What is the amount of the commission paid to traffic police and the % against challan issued.A summarised statement for last one year with number of traffic policemen working in Karachi.

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Zak

Oct 09, 2018 08:10pm

Finally, the clean up.

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Gaz

Oct 09, 2018 08:18pm

Law is being applied. This is the very first basic step in building a good society. Pakistan has good laws but they are never applied or applied selectively.

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Proud Pakistani

Oct 09, 2018 08:24pm

Employees of Dawn themselves flout traffic laws! Many times I've seen them drive from the wrong side to cut through the opening opposite the PSO fuel station. Your habits are enabling KE employees to do the same. Its shameful that the nation's largest english paper are the very menace that endangers people on the roads by going the wrong way. Its so simple to just turn left, make a U-turn at Shaheen Complex and be on your way. How hard can it be? Is your time more valuable than anyone else's?

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al Kuwaiti

Oct 09, 2018 09:48pm

I hope they start the same drive in Lahore which is in total mess coz of one way breakers

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Zaffar Abbas

Oct 09, 2018 10:30pm

Good step taken, traffic rules should be followed at all times.

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Ibrahim Mirza Shah

Oct 09, 2018 11:30pm

Traffic police cracking down on commuters going wrong way is the best thing to happen on Karachi streets in years.

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Zak

Oct 10, 2018 12:12am

Next, Don't take bribes, and let them off.

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BILAL AHMED

Oct 10, 2018 12:16am

Well done!

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Oct 10, 2018 12:16am

Last year at this time in Karachi Pakistan I was thinking of the same step. So carelessly traffic rules are violated in Karachi that one only can wonder if there is a traffic rule in place.

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Ali Asgher Makati

Oct 10, 2018 12:17am

Thank you. Thank you. It was needed a few years ago. Needs to be implemented strictly for a few months. The public has gone rogue. No patience, knowledge of respect for law at all here. Strictest action to be taken.

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Winter

Oct 10, 2018 12:25am

Well done..That is the only way to teach these violators a lesson. Appeal to the Islamabad and Rawalpindi traffic police to do the same...

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Akber

Oct 10, 2018 01:15am

Well done. Now breaking traffic lights and removed exhausts on bikes. The noise is just deafening. I live on 26th Street dha which has become a very busy street because of the one way on shamsher. The noise from these bikes is unbearable. Noise pollution has to be tackled also.

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Arij Khan

Oct 10, 2018 01:17am

Long overdue

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Arij Khan

Oct 10, 2018 01:21am

It is not the severity of the punishment which deters potential offenders; it is the belief that there will be no escape from accountability.

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Javed

Oct 10, 2018 01:31am

People going the wrong way should not only be arrested they should also be put in jail for at least three days, as they endanger the lives of the general public.

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Imran

Oct 10, 2018 02:29am

Good work. Wrong side drivers/riders should be fined dearly.

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El Cid

Oct 10, 2018 03:33am

Amazing what has been going on.

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samunder

Oct 10, 2018 04:05am

Vehicles should be impounded, motorcycles have become a menace, these people have no regard for anyone's safety including their own, they should be punished.

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Ahmed

Oct 10, 2018 04:26am

Respect the law.

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Suraj Bhatt

Oct 10, 2018 04:28am

It's a great start but breaking the traffic law is very much instill in everyone's mind.

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Tasawar

Oct 10, 2018 04:49am

Good move , even gooder as to let them go later , but please do keep record so as to catch habitual offenders . And any money in the treasury is good money . lets hope it doesn't go in wrong pockets .

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Baghi

Oct 10, 2018 04:51am

Awesome!! Please do something for noisy exhaust event 125 bike is too noisy.

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azam khan

Oct 10, 2018 04:52am

When I was in Karachi a couple of years back, I took the initiative & started stopping the motor-bikes myself & asking them to turn back. Most of them admitted that were wrong. The problem is nobody cares to tell people that they are doing something wrong.

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Malakmd

Oct 10, 2018 05:41am

Perfect, please impose more strick regulation, we drove in the city of light, things was very fine till 1998, we hardly see wrong way drivers, yes did observe cops for laziness or taking tea money, but after that period what happened? Why no one follows traffic rules? Instead of getting more better we get worst.. We need to ask ourselves how to police yourself.

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LAHORI KID

Oct 10, 2018 05:52am

Don't blame the commuters, they are only following their leaders in Sindh. And the employees of the Chief Ministers house, those tickets will never be paid, all it'll take is a call from the Chief Ministers office.

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LAHORI KID

Oct 10, 2018 05:53am

@Ahsan Gul They got a ticket, what more do you want? Life sentence?

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Chinpaksaddique

Oct 10, 2018 06:28am

Great job by PTI. This was never done under PMLN or Prev Mushi

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Truth

Oct 10, 2018 06:31am

There is no excuse of going wrong way ...in order to improve flow of traffic , motor cycle should be ban on main roads ....

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Tahir

Oct 10, 2018 07:31am

Very good, long awaited issue is going to be resolved.

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Salman Khan

Oct 10, 2018 09:37am

Excellent move! I believe that in order to cover some of the debt, police should raise the fine for traffic offences and have traffic police posted discreetly at locations know to traffic violation choke points. Fining unsuspecting violators is the way to go. Ignorance of the law is no excuse and knowledge of said law is a prerequisite for obtaining driving licences!

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SOHAIL SHAIKH

Oct 10, 2018 10:53am

Very good initative but same action need in others cities of country specially in Hyderabad too.

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msm

Oct 10, 2018 03:53pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad police must apply and follow the same rules/laws on themselves.

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Saad

Oct 10, 2018 04:19pm

They must be in Jail for at least 3 months, vehicles be towed on their expenses.

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Oct 11, 2018 12:35pm

It seems another Drama of Traffic Police. In morning, I witnessed traffic police facilitating vehicle on wrong-way just beside the Fozia Wahab Bridge Shahra-e-Faisal (Shell Pump) and under the Baloch Bridge at the connecting point of Shaheed Milat Rd from Shahra-e-Faisal. Its routine practice, people doesn't care even traffic wardens are there. I even seen police and traffic police to practice same. Traffic Police head must need to first train traffic wardens. I never feel that they really want to take control of traffic.

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