In a major development, the Punjab government has tasked the police with collecting over Rs30.5 billion in revenue during the upcoming financial year, according to budget documents released this week.

Among the major targets is a significant hike in e-challan collections, which have been increased by Rs520 million compared to the current year.

The new goal for traffic e-challans has been set at Rs1.47 billion, up from Rs950 million.

The Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) has also been assigned a separate e-challan collection target of Rs1.5 billion.

Lahore alone is expected to contribute Rs11.2 billion in traffic fines, while an ambitious target of Rs14.5 billion has been set under the driving licence fees across the province.

Officials say the move aims to boost provincial revenues, but it has also sparked debate over whether assigning tax collection duties to police forces could compromise their core responsibilities in law enforcement and public safety.