Self-immolation attempt: Traffic wardens warned against issuing tickets to poor

Rickshaw driver, who set himself alight over police extortion, refuses to accept govt money from Karachi police chief

Karachi Police chief Amir Sheikh on Sunday directed traffic police that they should abstain from issuing tickets to the underprivileged and give them relief by letting them go with a warning instead, Express News reported.

Sheikh said this while visiting Civil Hospital's Burn Ward, where he went to meet rickshaw driver Khalid, who had suffered serious burn wounds after setting himself alight near the city police office in Saddar over alleged extortion by traffic wardens on Saturday.



The police chief also presented a cheque to the rickshaw driver's family from the government to cover his medical expenses. Khalid's family, however, refused to accept the amount by saying that they did not want money but justice instead.

Sheikh, while speaking to the media on the occasion, said that the traffic police should give relief to the underprivileged by only giving them a warning and not impose traffic violations on them.

Khalid had poured kerosene oil on his body and set himself on fire yesterday, saying he was ‘tired’ with daily challan and alleged ‘extortion’ by the traffic police officials.

In his statement, being shared on social media, Khalid alleged that ASI Mohammed Hanif had been extracting Rs100 from him on a daily basis. He gave the policeman Rs50 on Saturday, but the latter insisted on Rs100 and on refusal the ASI slapped him with a fine.