Islamabad, Oct 9, 2025: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed authorities not to immediately file cases against citizens who drive without a valid license.
The court heard a case regarding deadlines for arresting unlicensed drivers and seizing their vehicles. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar presided over the hearing, which a concerned citizen filed. Islamabad’s Chief Traffic Officer (CTO), Captain (Retd) Hamza Humayun, appeared in court in his personal capacity in response to the judicial notice.
The petitioner told the court that the Motor Vehicle Ordinance allows authorities to impose fines on drivers without licenses.
He argued, however, that the CTO’s directive to seize vehicles, register cases, and arrest violators after a fixed deadline violates the law. He emphasized that authorities cannot enforce such punishments without proper legislation from Parliament and approval from the Cabinet.
Chief Justice Dogar said authorities should issue fines first for failing to present a valid license, and only take stricter action on repeated violations. He added that if drivers have a license but not the hard copy, they can present a digital copy.
The Chief Justice stressed that negligent or careless driving can lead to serious consequences, including criminal liability in the event of an accident. He noted that Pakistan has existed for over seventy years, yet some citizens still do not understand the legal requirement to hold a valid driving license.
CTO Islamabad explained that authorities introduced new security features in licenses to prevent tampering, and so far, they have not registered any cases against unlicensed drivers.
The Chief Justice suggested linking the license verification system with the NADRA mobile app, pointing out that digital verification of official documents is already possible. The CTO said authorities will work to connect the traffic licensing system with NADRA to digitalize verification processes.
The Chief Justice warned that filing cases against unlicensed drivers can create social stigma, as their names appear in criminal records. He instructed authorities to issue a one-time warning and fine, reserving stricter measures for repeat offenders. He added that humans make mistakes, but the law does not allow negligence.
Following these directives, the Islamabad High Court disposed of the citizen’s petition, providing clear guidance on how authorities should handle unlicensed drivers.