The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) decision to impose an additional 50% toll on motorists travelling without an M-Tag or with an insufficient M-Tag balance, restraining the authority from collecting the extra charge until the next hearing on August 3.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the interim order after a preliminary hearing on a petition filed by Advocate Muhammad Jalal Haider. The court also issued notices to the NHA, the Ministry of Communications and other respondents, seeking their responses.
The disputed notification, issued on May 30, 2025, introduced the additional charge from June 15 as part of the NHA’s plan to implement a 100% M-Tag system on motorways.
The petitioner argued that the surcharge was unlawful and requested the court to declare the notification invalid, as well as direct the authorities to refund any additional amount collected from motorists under the policy.