Islamabad Traffic Police is Filing FIRs Against Citizens Instead of Fines

The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) registered 496 cases against traffic violators in the last two weeks, raising concerns over the use of FIRs for violations that were previously handled through fines, Dawn reported.

Police officers told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the cases were registered under Section 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), while other PPC sections were also applied in some cases.

Of the total cases, 312 were related to one-way driving, 102 to rash driving and speeding, 20 to lane violations, six to general traffic violations, five each to three riders on a motorcycle and one-wheeling, three to riding without a helmet, and one each to wrong parking, red-light jumping, and underage driving. Another 40 cases were registered for driving without a license.

Overall, 496 people were booked while driving 298 motorcycles, 54 cars, and 145 other vehicles.

Police officers said fines already exist for these violations, although red-light jumping, one-wheeling, rash driving, and speeding are considered serious offenses. They also pointed out that cases were registered for one-way violations despite several road closures for security reasons, including parts of Khayaban-i-Suhrwardy, Mohammad Tufail Niazi Road, and AK Brohi Road in front of Police Lines Headquarters. These closures, they said, force motorists to either take longer routes or drive on the wrong side.

The officers also said the ITP regularly closes the middle lanes of highways, including Srinagar Highway at the G-9 signal, for several hours, creating risks for motorists.

They referred to an October 2025 Islamabad High Court ruling in which the court cautioned against criminalizing minor traffic violations. The court said registering criminal cases or impounding vehicles for driving without a license was excessive and unlawful, and undermined citizens’ rights and the principle of proportionality in law enforcement.

The court made the remarks while disposing of a constitutional petition challenging the Islamabad Traffic Police’s decision to arrest citizens and file criminal cases against them.

According to the officers, FIRs over traffic violations can damage drivers’ reputations and careers. Once their names become part of a criminal record, they may face difficulties in obtaining visas, jobs, or university admissions.

Although Section 279 is a bailable offense, police asked suspects to appear before court the next day to obtain bail. The FIRs followed a similar format, stating that the suspects had endangered their own lives and public safety by violating traffic laws.

The officers alleged that the practice of registering criminal cases for traffic violations was being carried out on the orders of senior officers to increase the FIR registration ratio.