Karachi Traffic Police Collect Over PKR 1.2 Billion in Fines
From July 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, Karachi Traffic Police issued fines totaling over PKR 1.2 billion for various violations. More than two million citizens were fined, averaging PKR 3.5 million per day. So far, PKR 1.19 billion has been paid, with over PKR 100 million still outstanding from more than 114,000 violators.
Allocation of Fines
According to official sources, 30% of the total fines are allocated to the traffic police, with the remaining 70% going to the provincial government. This would entitle the traffic police to approximately PKR 360 million from the PKR 1.2 billion collected. However, DIG-Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema disclosed that the traffic police have not received their rightful share of the fines for the past four to five years.
District-wise Fines
District East topped the list with fines amounting to over PKR 240 million, followed by District West and Malir with fines exceeding PKR 224 million and PKR 207 million, respectively. Pending fines are highest in District Malir, with over PKR 20.6 million still unpaid.
Criticism and Suggestions
MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar criticized the heavy fines, stating that Karachi, which contributes billions in taxes, is being pushed to the brink. He warned that these measures could lead to an increase in suicides and crimes. Former CPLC Chief Jameel Yousuf echoed similar concerns, emphasizing that fines should be used to improve the city’s traffic conditions. Yousuf also suggested installing more signage to inform the public about traffic rules and proposed reviving the idea of honorary magistrates to oversee traffic violation cases.
Doubts Revealed
Karachi -: Karachi is a large city in Pakistan, similar to how Mumbai is a big city in India.
PKR -: PKR stands for Pakistani Rupee, which is the currency used in Pakistan, like how we use Indian Rupees (INR) in India.
Traffic Police -: Traffic Police are officers who make sure that people follow the rules of the road to keep everyone safe.
Fines -: Fines are money that people have to pay when they break the rules, like not wearing a helmet while riding a bike.
Revenue-generating entity -: A revenue-generating entity is something that makes money, like a business. The police are usually not supposed to make money but to keep people safe.
MQM-P -: MQM-P stands for Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, which is a political party in Pakistan, similar to how we have different political parties in India.
Farooq Sattar -: Farooq Sattar is a leader of the MQM-P party, like how we have leaders in Indian political parties.
Suicides -: Suicides are when people take their own lives because they feel very sad or hopeless. It’s a very serious issue.
CPLC -: CPLC stands for Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, which is a group that helps the police and the community work together.
Jameel Yousuf -: Jameel Yousuf is a former chief of the CPLC, which means he used to be the leader of this group.
Signage -: Signage means signs on the road that help people know where to go and what to do, like stop signs or speed limit signs.
Honorary magistrates -: Honorary magistrates are people who help judges in court but are not full-time judges themselves.
