Latest news with #ZiaulHassanLanjar


Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Sindh bans 4-seater rickshaws; amends vehicle registration rules
Sindh government on Friday approved a ban on four-seater rickshaws and online as well as on the counter sale of tinted windows, police lights, and sirens. The meeting chaired by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar discussed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules also approved outsourcing the motor vehicle fitness check. IGP Sindh, and secretaries of law, transport and mass transit, excise and taxation, along with the DIG traffic were present in the meeting. They approved mandatory fitness certification for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, It was decided that a draft would be prepared and submitted to the government for approval and ratification of the amendments. Participants approved a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws, and decided to make it mandatory for water tankers and dumpers to install trackers and sensors. Minister Lanjar stated that third party services will be engaged to issue fitness certificates to commercial and non-commercial vehicles, with formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with them. Violation fines were also approved, including Rs200,000 fined for wrong-way driving of government vehicles, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists driving against traffic, and Rs100,000 for four-wheelers violating one-way rules. Motorcyclists driving without a license are to be fined Rs25,000, while car drivers are to be fined Rs50,000 for the violation. Meanwhile, first-time offenders of one-wheeling or drifting are to be fined Rs100,000, increasing to Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 for repeat offenses. Minister Lanjar also approved the installation of at least five cameras in heavy/load-carrying vehicles. Additionally, e-challans for traffic violations will be delivered to vehicle owners' registered home addresses, and vehicles with unpaid fines will not be approved for sale or transfer. The minister further stated that the traffic, transport, and excise systems will now be interlinked and operated online, while a dedicated Traffic Magistrate will be appointed to handle traffic law violation cases. Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala assured the department's full support in enforcing traffic regulations and emphasised that no registration or route permit will be issued to four-seater or larger rickshaws, and a crackdown will be launched against any such vehicles on the roads. He further stated that all organisational steps to establish the vehicle fitness service structure will be completed promptly, after which strict enforcement of fitness requirements will follow.


Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Sindh bans 4-seater rickshaws, amends vehicle registration rules
Listen to article Sindh government on Friday approved a ban on four-seater rickshaws and online as well as on the counter sale of tinted windows, police lights, and sirens. The meeting chaired by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar discussed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules also approved outsourcing the motor vehicle fitness check. IGP Sindh, and secretaries of law, transport and mass transit, excise and taxation, along with the DIG traffic were present in the meeting. They approved mandatory fitness certification for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, It was decided that a draft would be prepared and submitted to the government for approval and ratification of the amendments. Read more: Karachi bans motor-cab rickshaws on 11 major roads Participants approved a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws, and decided to make it mandatory for water tankers and dumpers to install trackers and sensors. Minister Lanjar stated that third party services will be engaged to issue fitness certificates to commercial and non-commercial vehicles, with formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with them. Violation fines were also approved, including Rs200,000 fined for wrong-way driving of government vehicles, Rs25,000 for motorcyclists driving against traffic, and Rs100,000 for four-wheelers violating one-way rules. Motorcyclists driving without a license are to be fined Rs25,000, while car drivers are to be fined Rs50,000 for the violation. Meanwhile, first-time offenders of one-wheeling or drifting are to be fined Rs100,000, increasing to Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 for repeat offenses. Minister Lanjar also approved the installation of at least five cameras in heavy/load-carrying vehicles. Additionally, e-challans for traffic violations will be delivered to vehicle owners' registered home addresses, and vehicles with unpaid fines will not be approved for sale or transfer. The minister further stated that the traffic, transport, and excise systems will now be interlinked and operated online, while a dedicated Traffic Magistrate will be appointed to handle traffic law violation cases. Also read: Rickshaw ban hits commuters Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala assured the department's full support in enforcing traffic regulations and emphasised that no registration or route permit will be issued to four-seater or larger rickshaws, and a crackdown will be launched against any such vehicles on the roads. He further stated that all organisational steps to establish the vehicle fitness service structure will be completed promptly, after which strict enforcement of fitness requirements will follow.


Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
Sindh bans four-seater rickshaws, proposes sweeping traffic law reforms
The Sindh government has approved a complete ban on four-seater rickshaws and introduced sweeping amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules, marking a significant shift in traffic regulation and enforcement across the province. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Law and Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar. The meeting finalised key reforms, which will now be submitted to the Sindh Cabinet for formal approval, according to a statement issued by the Sindh Home Department. Only one-by-two-seater rickshaws will be permitted to operate on the roads under the new rules. The ban is part of a broader move to improve road safety, enforce traffic discipline, and modernise public transport regulations. 'Illegal' auto-rickshaw stands hampering traffic flows The reforms also make it mandatory for all commercial and non-commercial vehicles to undergo fitness certification through third-party agencies to ensure transparency and safety compliance. Under the proposed amendments, severe penalties have been outlined for traffic violations. Government vehicles violating one-way traffic laws will face fines of Rs200,000, while a Rs100,000 fine will apply to four-wheelers. Motorcycles driving against traffic will incur a fine of Rs 25,000. Operating a motorcycle without a valid license will also result in a Rs25,000 fine, and Rs50,000 in the case of cars. The new rules require the installation of at least five surveillance cameras in all heavy and commercial vehicles. Additionally, water tankers and dumpers will be required to install GPS trackers and motion sensors to enhance monitoring and safety. The government has also moved to prohibit the sale, both online and in markets, of black tinted windows, fancy lights, and hooters. E-challans will be dispatched directly to vehicle owners' registered addresses. Traffic, transport, and excise departments will be linked under a unified system for better coordination and enforcement. Vehicles with outstanding traffic fines will not be eligible for sale or transfer. A new post of Traffic Magistrate will be created to handle traffic violation cases swiftly. First-time offenders of one-wheeling and car drifting will face a penalty of Rs 100,000, with harsher penalties for repeat violations. The meeting was attended by the Inspector General of Police Sindh, as well as secretaries of the law, transport, mass transit, and excise departments, along with the DIG Traffic Karachi. The interdepartmental coordination reflects the seriousness of the provincial government's efforts to overhaul road safety and urban mobility.


Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Earthquake sparks mass escape from Pakistan prison
More than 200 inmates have escaped from a prison in Pakistan after they were moved from their cells for safety amid earthquake tremors, officials have said. Several dozen of the prisoners that broke out of the jail in Karachi were quickly recaptured, police said on Tuesday, but at least 130 are understood to remain unaccounted for. Authorities added that raids are under way to apprehend those still at large. Of the 216 prisoners who had fled from Malir prison during the night, 78 had been recaptured, Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, told the AP news agency. He stressed that none of the escaped prisoners were convicted fighters. Escapes are not common from Pakistani jails, which have stepped up security measures since an attack on a prison by the Pakistani Taliban in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, which freed hundreds of inmates. One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in a shootout that developed amid a bid to put one of the escapees back into custody. Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, home minister for Sindh province, said the jailbreak happened while prisoners were removed from their cells for safety during the tremors. Once outside their cells, a group of inmates attacked guards, seized their weapons and opened fire. In comments carried live on local TV news channels, Lanjar said the prison break was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, the Reuters news agency reported.


Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Earthquake leads to mass escape from Pakistan prison
More than 200 inmates have escaped from a prison in Pakistan after they were moved from their cells for safety amid earthquake tremors, officials have said. Several dozen of the prisoners that broke out of the jail in Karachi were quickly recaptured, police said on Tuesday, but at least 130 are understood to remain unaccounted for. Authorities added that raids are under way to apprehend those still at large. Of the 216 prisoners who had fled from Malir prison during the night, 78 had been recaptured, Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, told the AP news agency. He stressed that none of the escaped prisoners were convicted fighters. Escapes are not common from Pakistani jails, which have stepped up security measures since an attack on a prison by the Pakistani Taliban in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, which freed hundreds of inmates. One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in a shootout that developed amid a bid to put one of the escapees back into custody. Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, home minister for Sindh province, said the jailbreak happened while prisoners were removed from their cells for safety during the tremors. Once outside their cells, a group of inmates attacked guards, seized their weapons and opened fire. In comments carried live on local TV news channels, Lanjar said the prison break was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, the Reuters news agency reported.