Lahore High Court Chief Justice Miss Aalia Neelum took strict notice of police arresting minors for traffic violations and immediately issued orders to the Punjab Inspector General.

The chief justice directed the IG Punjab to begin an awareness campaign for underage drivers. She said that children found driving for the first time should only be given a warning, while repeat offenders may face legal action according to the law.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also stopped the arrest of underage students for breaking traffic rules. She expressed strong anger over reports that children were being handcuffed.

The Punjab government has now approved a major decision to issue smart cards and motorcycle driving licences to 16-year-old students. A special awareness week will be held across the province, especially for students. For not wearing a helmet, only a warning ticket will be issued on the first violation.

For the first time, Punjab has also introduced drones and body cameras for traffic monitoring.

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Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that parents must play a bigger role in teaching children about traffic safety. She said traffic laws are created to save lives, and people must change their habits to stay safe.

She added that every citizen must cooperate to ensure traffic laws are followed. “We do not want to arrest innocent children, but following the law is necessary. It is not the children’s fault—parents never made them used to wearing helmets,” she said.

Maryam Nawaz further said parents should teach children the importance of helmets and road safety. She also instructed traffic police to treat citizens respectfully and avoid misconduct or rude behaviour.