LHC orders to seal pumps selling petrol to bikers without helmets

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday stopped the sale of fuel to motorcyclists without safety helmets. During the hearing of a petition filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique, Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi ordered the authorities to follow the directions.

A lawyer, Abdullah Malik, also requested the court to take action against those police officials, including traffic wardens, for riding their bikes without helmets. He further said, “The law is equal to all if citizens are being ticketed for not following rules, the same should be applied for officials on violating the same rules.”

Following this, the judge directed the authorities to seal the petrol pumps who fail to abide by the Lahore High Court orders. Furthermore, Justice Qureshi told the chief traffic officer (CTO) of Lahore to submit a compliance report in this regard by next week.

Earlier, the judge had ordered the CTO and police high-ups to take departmental action against police officers and traffic wardens if they are found riding motorbikes without wearing a helmet as well as the side mirrors.

“No one is above the law, a judge of Lahore High Court had been ticketed through e-ticket system,” Justice Qureshi remarked, questioning that if judges were paying the fine, why not others? He appreciated the new e-ticket system. The LHC had last month directed the CTO to start enforcing the condition of wearing a safety helmet on pillion riders from December 1 without any discrimination.