Women, elderly exempted from pillion-riding ban

SHC had directed Sindh govt to review ban on pillion-riding

KARACHI: Following the orders of the Sindh High Court, Sindh Home Department has exempted women, children and elderly persons from the same family from the pillion-riding ban imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

According to a notification issued on Tuesday, law enforcement personnel, journalists, media workers and co-workers will not be exempted from the ban.

"The rationale for exemption is that family members living in the same household were all exposed similarly to the virus and there was no extra risk of [spreading the virus] while sitting together [on a motorcycle]," read the statement.

Meanwhile, in the case of law enforcement officials, journalists and co-workers, they could infect each other with the virus, which would put their families at risk and cause further spread of the infection, added the notification.

The SHC had directed the Sindh government and home department on May 14 to review its decision of imposing a complete ban on pillion-riding.

The bench had remarked if markets are opening and the lockdown has been eased, then the ban on pillion-riding should also be reconsidered.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2020.