MANY cars on the roads these days seem to carry number plates that do not subscribe to the pattern specified by the excise and taxation department.

Since the digital registration plates were introduced, no car is supposed to carry number plates written in the previous pattern.

Unfortunately, many car owners violating the rule are lawyers, who now take pride in calling themselves ‘attorney at law’ and, in fact, consider themselves above the law.

Even civil judges and session judges have put up name plates on their homes proclaiming themselves as ‘justice’.

The title of ‘justice’ is given to one elevated either to a high court or the Supreme Court, but not anymore. Now every judge, no matter how junior in rank and service, insists on being addressed as ‘justice’ and every lawyer in black coat ‘attorney at law’.

Law abiding citizens on the roads are fearful of overtaking or crossing the path of a car that displays an illegal number plate with ‘attorney at law’ printed on it boldly. Even the traffic police on seeing such number plates look the other way to avoid trouble.

Prof Fajune Pirzada
Lahore

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2019