By: Asem Mustafa
The rich and lawless elite of Pakistan have made it a matter of their ego not to observe and abide by the law. The recent report by the Traffic Department has revealed that it is none other than the Chief Secretary Punjab’s staff officer who topped the (e-challans) traffic violations ticket list and has a number that tops half a century of violations.
A total of 51 e-tickets were handed over to the officer who find it difficult to observe the traffic laws, which also represent the pulse and temperament of the nation. The office of the chief secretary Punjab represents and gives out an assurance that all affairs of the province is under his watchful eyes but what actually happens is totally opposite.
Pakistan with myriads of problems has a system which is corrupt from top to bottom and Prime Minister Imran Khan on numerous occasions has lashed out at the prevailing corrupt practices.
The number of these e-tickets are 1079 as per traffic department and out of them only 10 have been paid which depicts the mindset of the ruling elite. These powerful bigwigs have law at a very low priority. The traffic incident on Srinagar Highway is still very fresh and it happened not long ago where a speeding four wheel drive Lexus, crashed into a parked car waiting at the signal to go green. The incident involved Federal Ombudswoman Kashmala Tariq. Four young men all in their early twenties died on the spot. How this incident was reported left a lot to be desired as what transpired totally changed the perception of a common man about law.
The law after 100 unpaid traffic tickets impounds the vehicle. The people who suffer are the ones who don’t have the ownership of the vehicle. These people who suffer from these tickets have nowhere to turn too as they cannot immediately pay the fine.
This alarming report from the traffic department should ring a bell for Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar. It is high time he should consider the contents of the report and should hold people responsible who act irresponsibly. It is his government that get the blame from the wrong doing and recovering the fine from the offenders can only make these people realize as it is them in individual capacity breaking the law and not the government itself.
The practice in the past for giving the traffic tickets to everyone on the whims was curtailed by upgrading the system to e-tickets but the current report leaves a question mark as this practice also failed to make its impact. The number 1079 tickets on traffic violations that too from the powerful government officials and political elite speaks how it has failed. The fines also needs to reasonable and the offenders should pay it with biometrics in a week’s time where it was committed. This practice as where the offence was committed can make people observe the traffic rules in a cautious manner besides acting responsibly.