Maintaining law and order: Ban on pillion-riding, cellular services challenged

The petitioner also called for a ban on rallies in public places.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC)  issued notices on Tuesday to the relevant provincial authorities on a petition seeking an end to the ban on motorcycle pillion-riding and the occasional suspension of cellular services. The petition also called for a ban on the holding of rallies at public places.

SHC Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, who headed the bench, adjourned the hearing for a date to be later notified by the court’s office.

Haji Gul Ahmed had gone to court against the Sindh government’s decision to ban pillion-riding in Karachi due to the law and order situation. Such restrictions are against the fundamental rights of citizens as it causes hardships for the poor, he argued.



The petitioner further informed the judges that the pillion-riding ban, coupled with suspension of cellular phone services, are affecting people of low-income groups who have to travel by bus every day to earn their livelihoods.

Ahmed said that religious and political gatherings should also be restricted to designated places because holding such rallies at public places or streets results in prolonged traffic jams.

The bench issued notices to the Pakistan Telecommunications Auth-ority, provincial home secretary, provincial police chief and others to file their comments by a date to be later notified by the office.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.