• Removal of locally tinted glasses, fancy number plates, pressure horns ordered
• SHC censures officials over movement of heavy vehicles during daytime in city

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the traffic police to take action against use of tinted glasses, sirens, revolving and bar lights, hooters and unauthorised number plates in vehicles in the provincial capital.

The SHC expressed displeasure over the chief secretary of Sindh for not filing a compliance report about implementation of an apex court’s order regarding heavy traffic in the city despite specific directives issued at a court hearing.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar again directed the chief secretary to file comprehensive compliance report till Jan 25 failing which he should be in attendance to assist the court.

At the outset of the hearing, DIG-traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema turned up along with a report and stated that check posts had been established on all entry and exit points to ensure restriction of heavy vehicles in the city between 6am and 11pm.

The DIG stated that traffic police were implementing the orders of the apex court about heavy traffic in letter and spirit.

However, the counsel for petitioners submitted that congestion in traffic and road accidents had reduced, but the court orders were still being flouted as heavy vehicles, other than exempted ones, still plying on roads during daytime.

The DIG further argued that traffic police had also taken action against illegal use of pressure horns, fancy and unauthorised number plates, locally tinted glasses, hooters, sirens and revolving & bar lights in vehicles.

However, he conceded that illegal use such items could not be fully controlled yet.

The bench directed him to submit the names/list of such vehicles/persons who were legally authorised to use hooters/sirens and revolving/bar lights.

The court further directed the DIG to publish a public notice in leading newspapers within three days for removal of all pressure horns, locally tinted glasses, unauthorised number plate, etc, from vehicles within seven days from the date of publication of notice.

A statement was filed by the secretary of services, general administration & coordination department stating that letters had been issued to relevant authorities for compliance with court orders.

However, the bench noted that on a previous hearing it had specifically directed the chief secretary to submit a detailed compliance report about implementation of the apex court order, but no such report had been filed by him.

The lawyers for the parties and a provincial law officer requested that National Highway and Motorway Authority and Traffic Engineering Bureau might be impleaded as respondents in these proceedings as their presence was necessary for implementation of court orders passed by the Supreme Court as well as the SHC.

While allowing the request, the bench said let an amended title be filed within three days whereafter notice be issued to newly-added respondents for next hearing.

The Supreme Court had issued the order in August 2007 banning heavy traffic during day hours.

Several petitions were filed in the SHC between 2010 and 2022 about heavy vehicles and implementation of the Supreme Court order.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2022