Lahore traffic police going beyond the road for recovery of e-challan dues

LAHORE: Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi has sent recommendations to the higher authorities to link the recovery of pending digital traffic challans to the core services of computerised national identity cards (CNICs), passports, sale/purchase of vehicles and police services, a move being considered ‘most controversial in the history of the traffic police’.

The proposal is said to be a blatant violation of the constitutional rights of citizens and the judgments of the Supreme Court.

Through an official letter, the CTO has suggested to the Punjab DIG traffic police to make a move to stop the issuance of duplicate CNICs, renewal of passports, vehicle transfer (sale/purchase transactions) and certain police services to the citizens/defaulters at the police Khidmat centres across the city, an uncalled for proposal that has raised eyebrows among the police circles and legal fraternity.

Citing the CTO’s recommendations as an attempt to infringe upon the constitutional rights of citizens for generating revenue or recovery of pending payments, a law firm is all set to challenge the ‘executive order of an individual officer’ in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Propose making CNIC, passport issuance, vehicles sale/purchase conditional to clearance of e-challan dues; legal expert terms the move illegal

A spokesperson for the City Traffic Police confirmed to Dawn that CTO Shirazi had proposed a comprehensive mechanism for the recovery of pending payments on e-challans. He said the decision was made to tighten the net around e-challan defaulters by making police, CNIC and passport services conditional to the digital challan clearance.

“A formal communication in this regard has been sent to the DIG Traffic Punjab and the Punjab Information Technology Department (PITB),” said the spokesperson while quoting the CTO’s letter.

The CTO has proposed that, as in the case of e-challan default, the provision of certain services at Police Khidmat Markaz should also be linked to the clearance of outstanding digital challan dues. The spokesperson added that timely recovery of outstanding digital challans would also help expedite the disposal of cases pending before courts.

“It would increase government revenue while reducing the administrative efforts and expenditure involved in the recovery process,” he added.

A senior lawyer, Omais Younis, declared the proposal of the CTO Lahore childish and funny, saying that the law does not allow such exercises/practices as the SC has protected the rights of the citizens in many reported judgements.

“The Supreme Court has held that even a court executing a money decree cannot block a CNIC where the governing law does not authorise that mode of execution,” the lawyer said and added that an unadjudicated or disputed traffic challan provided an even weaker legal basis for such a deprivation.

“Article 10-A guarantees fair trial and due process in the determination of civil rights and obligations and criminal accusations. A digital challan begins as an allegation; it is not necessarily a final adjudication merely because it appears in a government database,” said Mr Younis.

“Withholding a CNIC for a traffic fine is not a traffic-specific inconvenience,” said the lawyer, adding that it might disable large areas of a person’s legal, economic and social life and might adversely affect family members.

“The same is the case with the issuance of the passport which is a legal document that allows the citizen for free and safe travel,” the lawyer added.

Referring to a judgement of the Supreme Court given on Feb 18, 2026, Omais said Supreme Court of Pakistan declared that even an executing court cannot block a judgment-debtor’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to enforce a money decree or demand security, ruling the practice illegal and beyond the jurisdiction of civil courts.

“The court held that section 51 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides recognised modes of execution but does not authorise CNIC blockage”, he said, quoting the SC verdict.

He added the SC had also stressed that a CNIC is not a luxury or a mere statutory formality.

“We are moving the court of law against the unlawful and unconstitutional proposal of the CTO for the sake of protecting the rights vested under the laws to citizens,” said Omais.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2026