ISLAMABAD: Though wheelie, rash driving and using motorcycles without silencers are illegal activities and fall under traffic violations, the capital administration banned them for two months, sources told Dawn.

Islamabad Traffic Police daily checked these activities on Expressway, Faisal Avenue, Ninth Avenue, Seventh Avenue and Murree Road and issue tickets to violators and sometime even impound their motorcycles.

A police official on condition of anonymity said: If we go by the notification, these activities will be allowed after two months.”

District Magistrate Hamza Shafqaat was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts.

An officer of the district magistrate on condition of anonymity told Dawn that such activities were illegal and should be banned throughout the year.

Banning the activities for only two months does not mean that after the expiry of the period they will be considered lawful, he said, adding that the ban has been imposed to empower the officials of the administration, assistant commissioner and magistrate to take action against those involved in such activities, he said.

Earlier, majority of the violators were fined and only a few faced legal action which include registration of cases, he said.

According to the notification issued from the office of the district magistrate “… it has been brought to my notice that certain section of pillion riders are likely to indulge in wheelie, rash driving, using vehicles without silencers during Eid days.”

It further added that there were sufficient grounds for proceeding under section 144 of CrPC 1898 to prohibit wheelie, rash driving, using vehicles without silencers to avoid any threat to public peace and tranquility within the capital.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2019