LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday restrained police from lodging FIRs against motorcyclists for not wearing a helmet.

Justice Shahid Karim was hearing the petitions on smog control.

An SP of traffic police told the court that more than 26,000 FIRs had been registered against underage drivers and violation of helmets.

The judge observed that registration of FIRs for not wearing a helmet was a harsh action. He restrained the police from lodging cases on violation of helmet and suggested that fines could be increased.

The judge also ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to formulate a policy for planting trees on the rooftops of commercial buildings.

He instructed the advocate general of Punjab to arrange a meeting between the judicial water commission’s members and a delegation of Chinese environment experts.

Justice Karim directed the government to install solar power systems in educational institutions, stating that the use of alternative energy sources had reduced oil consumption globally.

He noted that planting trees in colleges and schools was a positive step.

The judge sought progress reports from different departments by the next week.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2024