ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA)’s move to
impose 50% additional toll charges (fines) on non-M-tag and low-balance M-tag
users has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court.
Advocate Muhammad Jalal Haider filed the petition, while the
application was presented in the court through Advocate Yahya Farid Khawaja.
The petition includes the Ministry of Communications, the National Highway
Authority (NHA) and other relevant parties.
The petition has taken the position that the NHA, under the
notification issued on May 30, 2025, decided to collect 50% additional amount
as a fine in addition to toll tax from non-M-tag vehicles and low-balance M-tag
users, which is against the law.
According to the petitioner, Section 10 of the NHA Act only
allows the collection of toll tax, and the law neither contains any provision
for imposing fines on non-M-Tag vehicles nor does it provide any legal
authority to collect additional fines on M-Tag users with low balances.
The petition states that the NHA is collecting additional
money from citizens without legal authority, which is also a violation of
Articles 4, 18, 24 and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The court has been requested to declare the notification of
May 30, 2025 as unconstitutional and illegal and to quash it, while orders
should also be issued to refund all the additional fines collected from the public
under this notification.
The petition further requests that the court order the NHA
to present the complete mechanism and details regarding the M-Tag balance
system, recharging procedures, balance checking and its effective use before
the court so that the difficulties faced by the consumers and the legal aspects
can be reviewed.
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