HUM Network Limited (HNL), in collaboration with police departments from the four provinces—Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan—has initiated a campaign aimed at reducing traffic accidents in partnership with Shell Pakistan.

In this regard, press briefings were held on December 19, 2024, in each province to emphasise the importance of drivers obtaining licenses and the necessity of wearing helmets and seat belts.

In Punjab, the briefing took place at the Lahore Central Police Office, headed by Dr. Usman Anwar, IG Police Punjab, Sultana Siddiqui, President and Duraid Qureshi, CEO of HNL. “There is now no excuse for individuals not to possess a licence, as the process has been simplified for the public,” remarked Dr Anwar, underscoring the significance of adhering to traffic regulations, including wearing helmets.

Duraid Qureshi, addressing on the occasion said it was a great privilege to collaborate with the police across all four provinces, adding that the main objectives of the campaign were to transform behaviours, change mind-sets, and address the widespread negative perceptions of the police that needed to be altered.

President, HUM Network emphasised that with the growing population, it is crucial to strengthen the enforcement of rules and regulations to prevent accidents. She said the effectiveness of such campaigns relies heavily on collaborations between the public and private sectors. “As a media network, our role is to raise awareness, while law enforcement will be involved in the implementation,” she added.

At the press event in Karachi, held at the CCPO office, attendees included Ghulam Nabi Memon IG Police Sindh, Javed Alam Odho, Karachi Police Chief, Asad ur Rehman, CEO-Designate, Arif Hussain, COO, HNL and Badar Ikram, Head of HUM Films.

IG Police Sindh has announced that, following an initial awareness campaign, any vehicles operating on the road without a valid licence, would face strict enforcement measures.

In Balochistan, the event involved signing a memorandum of understanding between Balochistan Police and HUM Network along with a press briefing. Syed Arfeen, Bureau Chief, HUM News Karachi, and Ayub Tareen, Bureau Chief, HUM News Quetta represented the network. Moazzam Jah Ansari, IG Police Balochistan, addressing the briefing, said: “We will not only work on making it mandatory for people to wear helmets and acquire licences, but also collaborate with stakeholders to remove road encroachments, create more parking spaces and improve road infrastructure.

Peshawar’s briefing on the campaign was headed by Qasim Ali Khan, CCPO, Peshawar Traffic Police, along with Islam Ahmed Khan, Head of Business Oraganisation, HNL and Rehan Ahmed, Director News, HUM News. The CCPO stated that this awareness initiative could help the public avoid hefty fines in future. Chief Traffic Officer Saud Khan highlighted efforts to integrate traffic safety education into school curricula. “We will take this campaign to universities and colleges as well as hospitals.”

Recently, Islamabad joined the campaign with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HUM Network and the Islamabad Traffic Police. The agreement was signed by Duraid Qureshi, CEO, HNL and Sarfraz Virk, CTO, Islamabad Capital Territory.