KARACHI: Refusing to restrain authorities from issuing e-challans over traffic violations in the city, the Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the provincial government and traffic police to file comments on a set of petitions challenging the recently introduced AI-based e-ticketing system.

A two-judge constitutional bench (CB) of the SHC comprising Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry and Justice Muhammad Jaffer Raza took up for hearing four identical petitions filed by the Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, Karachi Bus Owners Association and a citizen against the e-challan system introduced last month.

The petitioners requested the court for an interim relief to suspend the operation and implementation of the e-challan system till the final disposal of their petitions.

The lawyer for bus owners’ body, Munsif Jan, submitted that buses operating on intra-city routes were being fined under the impugned system and pleaded for an interim relief.

However, Justice Chaudhry remarked that an interim order could not be passed at this stage and the court will decide the matter after hearing both sides.

It directed a provincial law officer to ensure that the comments must be filed on behalf of the respondents — the Sindh chief secretary, home secretary, excise and taxation department, DIG of traffic police — by Dec 11.

The petitioners submitted that the Al-based e-challan system was implemented in the city without ensuring necessary road infrastructure, vehicle ownership verification mechanism and other allied facilities.

They argued that the state cannot demand compliance and impose heavy pecuniary sanctions while failing to provide the basic infrastructure necessary for lawful driving and that the impugned e-challan system was arbitrary, oppressive and discriminatory.

They stated that despite providing better facilities on motorways and highways, the federal government was not imposing such hefty fines on the public transport while in Punjab, similar traffic violations under the e-challan system had attracted comparatively nominal penalties.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2025