Ban on pillion riding tightens in Karachi

KARACHI: The police in port city on Sunday registered 57 first information reports (FIRs) and arrested 124 people for violating the ban on pillion riding, while dozens of others were given strict warnings.

The ban on pillion riding was announced on Saturday. A notification from the Sindh Home Department stated, "A strict ban/restriction on pillion riding is imposed without any exceptions, whatsoever."

City police chief Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon said that police in the metropolis stopped and checked some 3,284 motorbikes. Police in the South Zone stopped and checked 1,103 motorbikes, while police in the East and West Zones checked 1,189 and 992 bikes respectively.

Among these motorbike riders, 124 were arrested while 3,205 others were issued a “strict warning”.

Memon said the police “preferred to either warn or issue challans (tickets) to people riding with women and children”. However, he added that even police officers who violated the ban were been spared.

‘1,403 people fined’

Separately, a spokesperson for the Karachi Traffic police said that 1,403 people riding motorbikes were fined during the day for different offences, including three police officers. Giving a breakdown of the fines, the spokesperson said that 45 people were fined for driving while underage, 342 people were fined for riding motorbikes without valid licenses and some 724 were fined for riding wrong side on one-way roads. Meanwhile, New Karachi Industrial Area Police arrested four persons for “setting up Sunday bazaar” in violation of section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure. The police registered an FIR against the four accused under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Pakistan Penal Code on behalf of State through police officer.