KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday took exception to a notification issued by the home secretary banning pillion riding on New Year’s Eve and cancelled it, allowing youngsters to celebrate New Year, officials said.

“The chief minister ordered cancellation of the notification under which pillion riding was banned,” said the CM spokesperson.

He ordered the home secretary to withdraw the notification.

Later, Sindh home secretary Abdul Kabeer Kazi late on Monday evening issued another notification, partially modifying the previous order, and said the “ban on pillion riding of motorcycle/scooter/ is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect”.

However, the ban on “carrying arms and resorting to aerial firing and firecrackers” would continue on New Year to avoid any untoward incidents.

Earlier, the home secretary had imposed a ban on pillion riding in the city from the ‘evening of 31st Dec till morning of January 1st.’

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2019