LAHORE (Kashmir English): Punjab has announced a legal exemption for members of the Sikh community from wearing helmets while riding motorcycles, citing respect for their religious obligation to wear turbans.
The announcement came from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif during a Christmas celebration ceremony amid a province-wide crackdown on not wearing helmets following recent amendments to the Motor Vehicles Ordinance.
The new law has sharply increased fines and penalties, particularly affecting two-wheeler riders, who form the bulk of Punjab’s road commuters and also account for around 75 percent of the total road accidents when it comes specific to vehicle involvement.
The exemption, if formally notified, would carve out an exception to Section 89-A of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, which mandates protective headgear for motorcycle riders.
However, no official notification, amendment, or gazette order has yet been issued to pave way for the exemption.
As of December 26, 2025, neither the Punjab government nor the Punjab Traffic Police has released enforcement guidelines or clarified about the exemption criteria.
Punjab Traffic Police launched a strict enforcement drive in November after amendments to the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 raised fines and punishments for traffic violations.
Helmet-related violations
Thousands of arrests were made, and fines worth millions of rupees were imposed, with helmet-related violations forming a significant portion of the drive.
The crackdown triggered public backlash, with criticism over huge fines dominating social media, often in the form of memes.
Concerns were also raised by Sikh community members, for whom wearing a turban at all times is a religious obligation, making helmet use impractical.
The chief minister made the announcement while addressing the ceremony in the presence of President of Pakistan, representatives of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora, and other minority leaders, as part of a broader minority rights policy.
Similar exemptions for Sikh riders have been granted in other jurisdictions as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa allowed such an exemption several years ago
However, until formal notification is issued, the legal status of the exemption remains uncertain, leaving both riders and traffic enforcers in a grey area.
