The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed the request for arrests for unlicensed driving on Thursday, which issued clear instructions to law enforcement officials about how to handle such matters.
Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who heard the case, directed that an FIR should not be filed immediately against the citizens for driving without any license. Instead, he said, a fine should be imposed first if he fails to prepare a driving license.
The Chief Justice remarked that it is well -established that a criminal case can be filed only for neglect or careless driving, not just for a lack of license. However, he noted that in case of an accident, driving without a license could cause serious allegations, such as section 302 (murder) if negligence was proved.
During the hearing, the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) informed the court that new security features were added to avoid tampering with the licenses and confirmed that no FIR has been registered against the citizens due to lack of license.
The court also observes that digital verification with the NADRA mobile application has become easy, which allows for immediate verification of identity cards and other documents. The CTO said efforts were underway to digest driving licenses with NADRA for real -time verification.
The Chief Justice warned that filing criminal cases against civilians for minor crimes could create permanent notoriety in their criminal records. He directed that for the first time, criminals should only face fines, while repeated violations could guarantee strict legal action.