KARACHI: Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister ZiaulHassan Lanjar told the Sindh Assembly on Monday that traffic accidents have become a serious issue in the province and called for collective efforts to improve the traffic system.

In response to Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) member Maaz Mehboob’s call-attention notice, he pointed out that Karachi’s dense population and continual growth were intensifying traffic pressure and creating new problems.

He said that collective efforts were essential to upgrade the province’s traffic system, and that every institution, including ordinary citizens, must step up and play its part.

The law minister, who also holds the portfolio of the home department, said that practical steps were needed on this important and sensitive issue instead of political point-scoring.

Lanjar says special committee to meet tomorrow to examine heavy traffic fines and other issues

He expressed regret that members of some political parties were politicising the issue, which he said was not appropriate in any way.

Special committee

The minister said that a special committee had been formed to address traffic problems, with its inaugural meeting set for tomorrow (Wednesday) to examine issues ranging from accidents and law enforcement to speeding and heavy congestion.

The committee is headed by home minister and comprising opposition leader Ali Khurshidi, Taha Ahmed and Iftikhar Alam of the MQM-P; Asif Khan, Sadia Javed and Farooq Awan of the PPP; PTI’s Shabbir Qureshi; Additional Chief Secretary (Home)l; law secretary; Karachi police chief and DIG traffic.

The committee will make recommendations in the light of deliberations to make the e-challan system effective and user friendly.

The minister informed the house that a fine of up to Rs100,000 would be imposed on speeding trucks and tankers to discourage trafficrule violations.

The minister stated that the government was fully aware of citizens’ lives and property and was addressing every aspect of traffic issues effectively. “All concerned parties must shoulder their responsibility to safeguard precious human lives,” he added.

In response to a callattention notice from MQMP’s AbdulBasit, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Local Government Department stated that union committees (UCs) would now be required to submit a detailed utilisation report before any further funds were released.

He said that the UCs had been receiving their allocations without submitting a utilisation report. “The plan now is to make that report mandatory, so every UC will have to explain in detail how the previously provided funds were spent before they can get more,” he added.

The MQM-P member in his notice had complained that the funds of UCs had been increased from Rs500,000 to Rs1.2 million, but no work was seen being done anywhere.

He said that whenever residents approached a chairman to address a local civic problem, they were often informed that there were no funds available.

Question Hour

Furnishing a statement and replying to the lawmakers’ queries during Question Hour, Women Development Minister Shaheena Sher Ali informed the house that only one day care centre was established by the Women Development Department in district East during 2018-2023.

To another query, she said that no hostel was established for working women in Karachi during the last tenure of the provincial government.

She said that the department received 300 to 500 calls from distressed women on the helpline every day and that their complaints were registered.

She said that the department also received property-related cases from distressed women, who were provided with legal assistance.

Later, the house was adjourned to Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2025