In a dramatic u-turn earlier today, the traffic police department in Karachi has formaly withdrawn its earlier decision to arrest unlicensed drivers.
During a high-level meeting at the city police office today, it was decided that the traffic police will continue to carry out the usual process of penalizing and issuing challans to citizens driving vehicles without licenses.
The Karachi traffic police department had announced earlier this week that it would arrest all those drivers either carrying fake licences or not carrying licences at all.
But, following the chaos that had erupted at driving licences branches after an unprecedented number of citizens rushed to get their documents renewed, the decision was first put on hold for one month on the orders of Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Monday.
On Tuesday, the duration to be able to renew and obtain driving licenses was extended further by three months on the directives of Additional Inspector General of Sindh Traffic Police Khadim Hussain Bhatti.
In the latest on the issue, the traffic police department has now decided that it will not carry out arrests and will just issue challan and slap law breakers with a penalty instead.
