Motorists in Karachi who drive without number plates will now face criminal cases instead of fines, according to IG Sindh Javed Alam Odho. He said police have launched a city-wide campaign and are using Safe City cameras to identify violators.
Odho said the enforcement drive forms part of a broader push to tighten traffic monitoring through digital systems. Recent reports also say Karachi authorities have already blacklisted more than 23,000 vehicles for unpaid e-challans, indicating that Sindh police are moving beyond routine penalties toward tougher action against repeat or serious violations.
The IG Sindh said violators are being tracked through Karachi’s surveillance infrastructure. That fits with the wider expansion of the city’s Safe City system. This month, Sindh approved Phase II of the Karachi Safe City Project, which includes more than 2,300 additional smart cameras, including cameras equipped with automatic number plate recognition and facial recognition technology.
The number of CCTV cameras in Karachi has increased from 30,000 to 40,000, and the network has helped solve around 70% of crimes.
Odho also said Sindh’s e-challan system has been aligned with Punjab’s model. Recent reporting shows Sindh police have been expanding digital enforcement under the Traffic Regulation and Citation System, or TRACS, including blacklisting, faceless ticketing, and smartphone-based e-ticketing pilots. That supports the broader claim that authorities are standardising and strengthening electronic traffic enforcement.
The IG Sindh also warned against aerial firing and said police would take strict action in such cases. Police may arrest not only the person who fires shots, but also the groom and the groom’s parents if aerial firing is reported at a wedding.
