The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over the conduct of traffic police for unnecessarily stopping law-abiding citizens, observing that such practices cause public inconvenience and disrupt traffic flow.
The remarks were made by Justice Shahid Karim during the hearing of a smog prevention case. The court noted that while traffic police personnel are often seen deployed in groups on roads, effective action against actual traffic violators remains lacking.
The judge observed that citizens should only be stopped when there is a valid reason, and the offence must be clearly communicated at the time of interception, as required under law. He further stated that stopping motorcyclists in the middle of roads for questioning contributes to severe traffic congestion.
Justice Shahid Karim remarked that unnecessary checking of compliant citizens not only affects traffic flow but also causes mental stress to the public.
During the proceedings, Environmental Commission member Syed Kamal Haider informed the court that traffic police in peak hours often stop citizens for fine collection, which further worsens traffic jams. The court termed the practice unacceptable, stating that the entire traffic system cannot be disrupted for revenue collection.
The court also expressed concern over the failure to take effective action against smoke-emitting vehicles and directed authorities to launch a crackdown to help control smog.
Other environmental issues were also taken up during the hearing. The court was informed that environmental approval has not yet been granted for the Gujranwala Yellow Line Metro project. Justice Shahid Karim directed that new trees planted under development projects should be of proper size and that daily watering must be ensured at project sites.
The court appreciated recent legislation on tree transplantation and directed that these laws be strictly implemented across all development schemes. It also ordered that trees within project areas be properly tagged for record-keeping.
Justice Shahid Karim further questioned the performance of WASA regarding recovery of dues, asking whether the authority had sought any assistance from the court or Environmental Commission. He stressed the need for strict implementation of relevant laws.
The court lauded the performance of the Environment Department and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), directing special focus on restoring parks in middle-class areas to ensure recreational facilities for residents.
Officials from the Punjab government, Environmental Commission, LDA, and PHA appeared before the court, along with Deputy Director Environment Ali Ijaz and other officers.
The hearing was adjourned until April 30.