Amid widespread crackdown against violators of traffic rules across Punjab, Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz has expressed her displeasure over arrest of underage student drivers, ordering the issuance of smart cards and motorcycle licenses to them.
According to a report shared by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Hina Parvez Butt on X, the Punjab government has decided to issue smart cards and motorcycle licenses to 16-year-olds.
“Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has prohibited the practice of putting handcuffs on students for violating traffic rules,” she wrote, adding that the provincial chief executive has expressed strong displeasure over putting handcuffs on children.
“It is not the children’s fault. They are just not used to wearing helmets,” reports quoted CM Maryam as saying.
The report came as provincial authorities launched a sweeping 48-hour traffic crackdown that resulted in more than 76,000 challans across the province.
The operation was carried out under a zero-tolerance policy and targeted violations that officials said continue to endanger commuters and disrupt traffic flow.
During the two-day drive, the police impounded over 13,000 vehicles and collected fines totaling more than Rs71.2 million.
Officers also registered 1,402 FIRs and sent 1,390 people to jail for serious offences, including reckless driving and other crimes detected during inspections. The crackdown focused on routine violations found on busy roads.
Police took action against 11,700 drivers for driving without licenses and booked more than 4,000 motorists for one-way violations. Motorcyclists were a significant focus as well, with over 12,000 riders fined for not wearing helmets.
Public transport operators faced strict checks too. Police impounded 1,397 vehicles for carrying passengers beyond legal limits, while more than 3,000 underage drivers were booked during the campaign.
As part of efforts to reduce smog, police issued challans and impounded over 7,200 vehicles for emitting excessive smoke. Another 1,500 unsafe vehicles were flagged, and 421 of them were taken off the roads for posing safety risks.
Police also penalised 3,875 individuals for using non-standard number plates and 1,262 people for illegal parking.