IHC grants relief to drivers without licenses

ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) disposed of a petition regarding arrests for driving without a licence, providing explicit guidelines to law enforcement agencies on how to proceed in such cases.

Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who conducted the case, ordered that no instant FIR should be lodged against citizens who were found driving without a license. Rather, he mentioned, one should impose the fine first for not being able to produce a driving license.

The Chief Justice commented that it is widely settled law that a criminal case can be filed for negligent or reckless driving, but not simply for not having a license. But he explained that in case of a crash, driving without a license might attract grave charges, such as Section 302 (murder), in case of negligence.

At the hearing, the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) told the court that fresh security features had been introduced to avoid tampering in licenses and assured that no FIRs were being lodged against citizens just for not having a license.

The court also noted that verification had become simpler with the NADRA mobile application, through which identity cards and other documents can be instantly verified. The CTO confirmed that attempts were being made to digitally connect driving licenses with NADRA for real-time verification.

The Chief Justice warned that filing criminal cases against citizens for minor crimes can place a permanent mark on their criminal records. He ordered first-time violators to be fined only, while repeated offenses could merit tougher legal action.