LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the Punjab Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which envisages strict punishment for traffic rules violations.

The chief justice observed that the government enacted the law and it must be implemented.

“Instead of ensuring compliance with the law, you have come to have it struck down,” the chief justice asked the petitioner, Asif Shakir, a lawyer by profession.

The chief justice noted that, according to police data, 5,000 children were injured or killed in accidents caused by wrong-way violations alone.

She said the fine on traffic rules violation had been increased so people should follow the rules.

“Laws are enacted to improve society as they are necessary to make citizens responsible,” Chief Justice Neelum remarked.

She lamented that underage children ride motorcycles at high speed as parents also fail to act responsibly.

Expressing her concern over road accidents caused by underage drivers, the chief justice referred to a recent Islamabad incident wherein two young women riding an electric scooter were knocked down by a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) driven by an underage boy.

She noted that in Dubai traffic violations lead to fines up to 100,000 dirhams.

“Hit-and-run cases are rampant in the streets. Children who cannot even touch the ground by foot are given motorcycles to ride,” the chief justice lamented.

She noted that the government had already clarified that a first traffic violation would result in a warning fine and legal action would be taken on the second offence.

With these observations, the chief justice dismissed the petition being not maintainable.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2025