The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notice to the Sindh Assembly secretary, transport and finance ministries, provincial police chief and other respondents to file their respective comments on a petition of president of Sindh Transport Ittehad who challenged the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2014.
The petitioner, Syed Irshad Hussain Bukhari, challenged the new motor vehicles bill, submitting that the provincial assembly promulgated the new bill replacing the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965.
With the help of new bill, Section 120 which deals with the appointment of motor vehicles officers or examiners was amended, he said, while adding that as per amended Section 120 of the bill, all existing motor vehicle officers belonging to the police department were transferred to transport department with fresh appointments to be made if the government deemed fit who shall also perform their duties under the transport department.
The petitioner said the Section 120 is against the spirit of the apex courts’ judgments that ordered the transfer of officers posted on deputation back to their parent departments. Besides, he said that motor vehicle officers, who before the passing of the bill worked under the police department, had proper uniform to wear but now they had to work in plain clothes which may create difficulty for them while doing job.
The Sindh IG appointed motor vehicle officers from police force, who being part of police department, could effectively enforce the traffic laws.
He said Section 2 which permits Qingqi Rickshaws to be operated throughout the province was also illegal. The petitioner requested the court to declare as illegal and unconstitutional the new Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2014.
