LAHORE BUREAU REPORT
A resolution proposing to reduce the minimum age for obtaining a driving license from 18 to 16 years has been submitted in the Punjab Assembly.
The resolution was tabled by opposition member of the Punjab Assembly, Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood. It states that the youth population in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, is rapidly increasing, and in order to integrate young people into the economy, the legal driving age should be reduced from 18 to 16 years.
The text of the resolution further highlights that in several provinces of Canada, individuals are permitted to obtain a driving license at the age of 16, while in Germany, driving licenses are issued at the age of 17. Citing these international examples, the resolution argues that lowering the driving age in Pakistan would help bring youth into the mainstream of national development.
The resolution calls on the government to amend existing laws and allow 16-year-olds to obtain driving licenses in the interest of economic participation and youth empowerment.