Petition Filed in Islamabad High Court Against 50% Toll Penalty for Non-M-Tag and Low-Balance Vehicles

Islamabad: A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court challenging the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) decision to impose a 50% additional toll charge on vehicles without an M-Tag and on M-Tag users with insufficient account balances.

According to the petition, filed by Advocate Muhammad Jalal Haider on behalf of petitioner Yahya Fareed Khawaja, the NHA’s notification issued on May 30, 2025, unlawfully imposes an additional toll as a penalty on motorists using the motorway without an M-Tag or with low M-Tag balances.

The petition names the Ministry of Communications, the National Highway Authority (NHA), and other relevant authorities as respondents.

It argues that under Section 10 of the NHA Act, the authority is empowered only to collect toll tax and has no legal authority to impose penalties on non-M-Tag vehicles or additional charges on motorists whose M-Tag accounts have insufficient balances.

The petitioner further contends that the notification violates Articles 4, 18, 24, and 25 of Pakistan’s Constitution, describing the measure as unconstitutional and beyond the powers granted to the NHA.

The petition requests the Islamabad High Court to declare the May 30, 2025 notification null and void, direct the authorities to refund any additional charges already collected from the public, and order the NHA to disclose the complete mechanism governing M-Tag balances and their usage.

The case has been submitted for consideration before the Islamabad High Court.