How to Report a Motorway Accident in Pakistan: the 24-Hour NHMP Rule

If your vehicle is in an accident on a national highway or motorway, the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 tells you to stop, help anyone hurt, give your name and address, and report to the nearest patrol post within 24 hours. Leaving the scene is an offence for which police can arrest without a warrant. The motorway police control room is 051-9320320.

A crash on the motorway at night is frightening, and the rules are the last thing on your mind. That is the time they matter most. We opened the ordinance text that the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) publishes on its website on 15 October 2026 and read the sections on accidents. This guide turns them into steps. The ordinance is a law from the year 2000, so we flag where the penalty amounts may have changed.

You must stop and stay at the scene after any accident

Section 59 says a driver involved in an accident with a person, animal, vehicle or property must stop and stay stationary as long as reasonably necessary. You must also give your name, your address and the owner's address to anyone affected, if they give theirs in return.

The duty applies whether or not you think you caused it. A driver who drives away can be arrested without a warrant, because section 81 lists fleeing the scene of an accident among the offences for which a uniformed officer may arrest. Stopping protects you as much as the other party.

If the other driver refuses to give details, note the number plate, the colour and make of the vehicle, and the time. Then tell the patrol officer.

Help the injured first and park so you do not cause a second crash

Under section 61, if a person is hurt you must take all reasonable steps to get medical attention, and if needed take the person to the nearest hospital, unless the injured person or a guardian wishes otherwise. You must also park the vehicle and put out warning signs so it does not endanger other road users.

The same section covers animals and property. If an animal is hurt, try to find its owner and arrange care. If property is damaged, take reasonable steps to tell the party who suffered the damage.

The law also expects a driver to carry reflective warning triangle signs on a national highway, under section 43. Put them behind the vehicle, well back from the crash, and switch on the hazard lights.

Report to the nearest patrol post within 24 hours

Section 61 says that if no uniformed officer is present, you must report the circumstances at the nearest patrol post as soon as possible and in any case within 24 hours. Section 76 also requires a report to the patrol post and the police station within 24 hours where there is death, injury or property damage.

There is a softer time limit in section 76 for smaller cases. If property damage exceeds Rs 2,000 or an injury needs medical treatment, the person must report the details to the nearest patrol post within 48 hours. If damage is under Rs 2,000, the wrongdoer pays the cost of the damage or twice the cost of repair.

Use the NHMP control room on 051-9320320 or 051-9320321 if you cannot reach a patrol post, and the complaint cell on 051-9320290. Those numbers are from the NHMP telephone directory, which we opened on 15 October 2026. Our guide to checking motorway status with NHMP shows other ways to reach them.

Police can inspect your vehicle and keep it up to 48 hours

Section 62 lets a uniformed police officer, or someone authorised, inspect a vehicle involved in an accident and remove it for examination. The place where it is taken must be told to the owner. The vehicle must be returned without unnecessary delay and in no case later than 48 hours after removal.

This is why a clear record helps. Keep the papers for the vehicle, your driving licence, and the receipt for any removal. If the vehicle is not returned within 48 hours, ask in writing for the reason.

Your insurer will also ask for the report, so see how to claim car insurance in Pakistan and the car insurance guide for what a claim needs.

The fine amounts in the ordinance are old, so check the current figure

The text published by NHMP sets a fine of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 or up to six months for breaking the accident duties, and up to one month or Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for failing to report within 24 hours. These are the amounts printed in the year 2000 gazette. The ordinance allows the government to amend the schedules.

We did not find a later amended schedule on the NHMP page, so we cannot say what an officer will charge today. Ask for the written charge sheet, which the ordinance says must be given to you. For a current challan, use the NHMP motorway challan check.

The ordinance also has a point system. In the table of points printed with it, causing an accident that results in death carries 15 points and serious injury carries 10 points.

Steps to follow after a crash on a national highway

Keep it simple. Stop, make the scene safe, help anyone hurt, exchange details, and report. Write down times as you go, because you will need them for the patrol post and the insurer.

1. Stop the vehicle and switch on the hazard lights.
2. Check for injuries and arrange medical help or take the injured to the nearest hospital.
3. Place warning triangles behind the vehicle and move away from live traffic.
4. Exchange name, address, vehicle number and licence details with the other party.
5. Call the NHMP control room or go to the nearest patrol post and report within 24 hours.
6. Photograph the scene and keep the report copy for your insurer.

Common questions about reporting a motorway accident

How long do I have to report a motorway accident?

Within 24 hours to the nearest patrol post, according to sections 61 and 76 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000. Some smaller cases allow 48 hours.

Can I leave the scene if no one is hurt?

No. You must stop and give your name and address. Fleeing the scene of an accident is an offence for which police can arrest without a warrant.

Who do I call on the motorway?

The NHMP control room is 051-9320320 and 051-9320321, and the complaint cell is 051-9320290, per the NHMP directory.

Can police take my car after an accident?

Yes. An officer may inspect and remove it for examination, but must tell you where it is and return it within 48 hours.

Do the old fines still apply?

The ordinance text on the NHMP site shows the 2000 amounts. They may have been amended, so ask for the written charge sheet.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 15 October 2026. The duties, time limits, powers and penalties come from the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 as published by NHMP at nhmp.gov.pk, and the telephone numbers from the NHMP telephone directory. The ordinance file is a scanned gazette and some words were hard to read, so check the original at the NHMP traffic rules page. We did not call the numbers. This is general information, not legal advice. For a serious accident, speak to a lawyer.