Pay an NHMP Charge Sheet Fine Within 10 Days or Face Court in Pakistan
Check how an NHMP charge sheet works: four copies, 10 days to pay, what happens if you miss the date, and how to contest or plead guilty by post in Pakistan.
If the motorway police write you a charge sheet, you have 10 days to pay the fine the way the citation paper says and keep the receipt. Pay in time and the matter ends. Miss the date and the officer can hold your licence or registration and take you to court. We read the rule on 22 October 2026.
A motorway ticket feels small until it is two weeks old. Then a licence is in someone's drawer and a summons is on its way. The steps come from section 79 and section 84 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000, which governs roads patrolled by the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP). We read the Gazette copy that NHMP publishes on nhmp.gov.pk. It is the 2000 text, so confirm the fine amount with NHMP before you pay.
The officer writes a charge sheet in four copies and gives you one
Section 79(5) says the uniformed officer draws up a charge sheet in quadruplicate, with the fine written on it. One copy goes to you at once and the officer asks for your signature or thumb mark as a receipt for it. Signing is not an admission of guilt.
Within 24 hours the officer sends the second copy to the agency where you will deposit the fine, and the third to the central accounting office. The fourth is kept. So your fine is in the system the same day, and you can check it, as shown in the guide to checking and paying an NHMP motorway challan.
| Copy | Goes to | When |
|---|---|---|
| First | You, the driver | At once, with your signature or thumb mark |
| Second | The agency where the fine is deposited | Within 24 hours |
| Third | The central accounting office | Within 24 hours |
| Fourth | The officer, for the record | Kept |
You have 10 days to pay, and paying ends the case
Section 79(6) says a person accused of a Twelfth Schedule violation may, within ten days and if they do not want to contest, pay the prescribed fine in the manner given in the citation paper and obtain the receipt. Section 79(7) then says no further action will be taken if you pleaded guilty and paid.
- Read the citation paper for the amount and the place to pay.
- Pay within ten days of the charge sheet.
- Take the receipt. It is your only proof that the case is closed.
- Keep the receipt and your copy of the charge sheet for the licence renewal.
Ten days is a hard line. We found no extra grace in the ordinance for a bank holiday, so pay early. Points can still be added to your licence for the offence, as explained in the guide to the NHMP licence points system.
If you do not pay, the officer can take your licence or registration
Section 79(8) says that if the fine is not paid as provided, the police officer who drew up the charge shall take your registration or licence into custody and lodge a complaint against you before the court that has jurisdiction. The document stays with the police until the matter is dealt with.
That is a bigger problem than the fine. A driver without a licence is driving unlicensed, and on a national highway that can mean arrest. The list of such cases is in the guide to when NHMP can arrest without a warrant.
If you want to contest, you answer the court summons
Section 84 says that when a court takes up the case, the summons must state that you either appear in person, with or without a lawyer, or that you may plead guilty by registered letter before the hearing date and send the fine to the court. A lawyer is optional.
Pleading guilty by letter saves a trip, and the summons has to tell you the date. If you think the charge is wrong, appear and say so. The speed rules for a reading dispute are in the guide to motorway speed limits, because section 66 requires a device reading for a speeding conviction.
The fine amounts live in a schedule that the government can change
Section 79(3) fixes the fine by the Twelfth Schedule, and section 79(4) lets the government amend that schedule in consultation with NHMP by notification in the official Gazette. The amounts printed in the 2000 text are therefore not a safe guide to what you will pay today.
We did not quote Twelfth Schedule amounts because the scanned table was unclear and could be out of date. Read the amount on your citation paper. If you doubt it, ask the NHMP on 130 before the ten days run out.
Common questions
How long do I have to pay an NHMP fine?
Ten days, under section 79(6), if you do not want to contest the charge. Pay in the manner on the citation paper and take a receipt.
What happens if I pay on time?
Section 79(7) says no further action is taken if you plead guilty and pay as the law requires.
What if I miss the 10 days?
The officer can take your registration or licence into custody and file a complaint in court, under section 79(8).
Do I need a lawyer to contest a ticket?
No. Section 84 says you may appear in person with or without an advocate.
Can I plead guilty by post?
Yes. The summons must tell you the date by which you may plead guilty by registered letter and send the fine to the court.
Does signing the charge sheet mean I admit the offence?
The ordinance only says the officer obtains your signature as a token of receipt. We found no wording that treats it as a confession.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 22 October 2026. The steps come from sections 79 and 84 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000, in the Gazette copy at nhmp.gov.pk, a scan we read as text and cross-checked. It is the 2000 text, and we did not check for later amendments or for how patrol posts handle payment today. We did not quote any fine amounts. We did not pay or contest a charge sheet.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
