ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued tickets to 645 VIPs, including parliamentarians, diplomats and bureaucrats, during the current year.

Those who were fined included 38 MNAs/MPAs, 14 senators, 16 army officials, 112 government officials, 200 senior police officers, 24 diplomats, 87 media persons and 54 judiciary officers.

“Elimination of VIP culture and equal application of law are the operational codes of the ITP which has become the model of excellence for all law enforcement agencies in the country,” SSP (Traffic) Farrukh Rasheed said on Sunday. He said performance of traffic police personnel is being reviewed continuously and every possible effort would be made to improve it.

According to a statement, as per basic objectives defined at the time of inception of the ITP on January 28, 2006, its personnel are ensuring equal implementation of law.

“Whether there are any VIP or common people on the road, everyone is equal to us and it is our responsibility to save their life through ensuring implementation of traffic rules,” the SSP maintained.

He said ITP will provide maximum facilities to road users and ensure safe travel on the capital roads. Fine tickets are issued not as a punitive measure but to make citizens more law abiding to ensure safety to their own lives, he said.

Mr Rasheed said ITP personnel will continue efforts to ensure a safe road environment, and urged the citizens to cooperate with them to make this city accident-free.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2020