LAHORE: A civil miscellaneous application has been filed in the Lahore High Court against alleged serious irregularities in Punjab’s e-challan system, submitting additional evidence in a pending constitutional petition.
The application filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique alleges that traffic fines are being imposed without proper identification of vehicles and human verification, resulting in citizens being penalised for violations committed by other motorists.
It refers to the case of a Gujrat resident whose 2018 model car received five e-challans for traffic violations in Lahore. However, it says, photographs attached to the e-challans allegedly showed a vehicle of a different model.
The application claims the citizen travelled from Naran to Gujrat and maintained that his vehicle was not in Lahore on the dates of the alleged violations.
It also cites four other e-challans, carrying a cumulative fine of Rs11,000, issued against a car owned by a lawyer.
The applicant argues that identifying vehicles solely through number plates, without verifying their make, model and colour, exposes a fundamental flaw in the system.
It says an officer’s name on an e-challan does not constitute independent human verification.
The application warns that unpaid e-challans can lead to vehicle confiscation and restrictions on ownership transfers and token tax payments, adversely affecting innocent citizens.
It asks the court to ensure transparency, accountability, human verification and an effective hearing mechanism for motorists, arguing that technology should facilitate citizens rather than penalise them without verification.