A controversy has erupted after an e-challan was reportedly issued to the vehicle of Karachi DIG Traffic Police Pir Muhammad Shah for a violation recorded on the Lyari Expressway, a route not covered by the city’s newly launched e-challan system.

According to earlier reports, the traffic police claimed that the DIG Traffic’s official vehicle had been fined after the driver failed to fasten his seatbelt while passing through the Garden Interchange of the Lyari Expressway.

The DIG Traffic Police was not in the car at the time of the challan worth Rs10,000.

The incident was initially shared by the Sindh Police’s media department as an example of impartial enforcement under the new system.

However, sources pointed out that the e-challan tracking and ticketing system was installed between the Metropole Hotel and Karachi Airport along Sharea Faisal, with monitoring cameras placed at five locations.

The inconsistency has sparked questions over how a violation on the Lyari Expressway could have been detected and fined through the same network.

The e-challan system, inaugurated on October 28, was intended to ensure automated, transparent enforcement and reduce human interference.

It was announced that within six hours, the system had generated revenue of over Rs12.5 million.

The media has not yet been provided with the terms of reference for the tracking system.

Word quickly spread across the city about the e-challan issued to the DIG Traffic’s vehicle, with many questioning whether it was merely a publicity stunt aimed at earning praise while misleading the public.