Over 5,000 people arrested in Pak's Punjab for traffic violations

Lahore, Dec 1 (PTI) Pakistan’s Punjab government has launched a massive crackdown on motorists especially underage drivers and arrested over 5,000 people mostly young boys for traffic violations during the last three days, police said on Monday.

This is the first time in the province’s history that such a large-scale action against motorists, especially underage drivers, has been taken for traffic violations.

“Over 5,000 people including underage drivers have been arrested during the three days for violating traffic rules across the province,” a Punjab police official said and added the decision to launch the massive crackdown has been taken at the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.   A large number of schoolchildren have also been arrested for being underage drivers and their parents and guardians have been booked in the FIR.  There was chaos in and outside police stations where the school-going boys and their parents/guardians were forced to spend chilly nights to pursue the cases.

“Around 70 per cent of the total arrested youngsters were the bike riders,” the police official said.

CM Maryam and Punjab police are facing scathing criticism especially on social media for making the province a ‘police state’ and letting its citizens at their mercy.

The affected parents criticised the chief minister for making ‘criminal profiles of their children’ for "mere" traffic violations.

“This action will have long-term consequences on the career of our young boys. Registration of FIRs and arrests will limit access of the youngsters to education and employment opportunity jeopardising their future,” said the father of an arrested boy, calling the police action an overreacted crackdown by the chief minister.

“Violation of traffic rules may be taken as a young age mistake and can be addressed by heavy fines, not as a crime or criminal act,” he said.

On the other hand, the Punjab police has generated PKR 134 million from the over 50,000 tickets issued for traffic violations and impounded over 26,000 vehicles. PTI MZ GRS GRS GRS