Peshawar Exempts Sikhs from Helmet Law

Authorities in Pakistan’s Peshawar city have exempted turbaned Sikhs from wearing helmet while riding motorcycles. This comes as a huge relief thousands of Sikhs in Pakistan’s sixth largest city.

According to a report in the Express Tribune, the issue to exempt turbaned Sikhs from the helmet rule was raised in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly by minority member Sardar Ranjeet Singh.

Peshawar Police will exempt only turbaned Sikhs to ride their motorcycles without helmet. Non-turbaned Sikhs will still have to wear helmet when on road.

Pakistan Today quoted Kashif Zulfiqar, SSP, Traffic, Peshawar as telling that the police would cooperate with Sikhs. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also known as KP or KPK, is home to 60,000 Sikhs.

According to an Express Tribune report, 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, one of the oldest cities in the world.

On Sept. 24, police in Lahore, Pakistan’s second most populous city, started a crackdown on helmetless motorcyclists. By September end, the police had issued 58,000 tickets to offenders.

This crackdown led to a surge in the prices of helmets.

Recently, Ontario became the fourth province in Canada to give turbaned Sikhs an exemption from wearing helmets.  British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta are the other Canadian provinces that allow turbaned Sikhs to ride their bikes without helmets. In the UK, Sikhs have been exempted to ride without helmets since 1976.

In India too, it is not mandatory for turbaned Sikh men to wear helmet. The matter to exempt Sikh women from wearing helmet is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.