A collection of fancy number plates put on display. — INP/File


A collection of fancy number plates put on display. — INP/File
  • Supply of official plates affected in Punjab Sindh, sources say.
  • Crackdown adds to problems as people unable to procure plates.
  • Official contractors say facing shortage of materials due to demand.

KARACHI: After the Sindh government’s announcement to launch a crackdown against unregistered or fake number or licence plates, citing security reasons, the demand for official vehicle registration plates went through the roof in the market.

The uptick in demand was witnessed after the warning given by the Sindh government that no one will be spared in this crackdown.

The government had decided to take action against the vehicles in violation of the relevant laws — started on February 28 — after the attack on Karachi Police Office (KPO).

Provincial Transport minister Sharjeel Memon during his press conference had said: “If someone sells an unregistered vehicle that is then used in a crime, the showroom owner will also be held liable for the crime.”

Sources in Customs intelligence said that due to the inability of the contractors, the supply of thousands of number plates had been affected in Punjab and Sindh which led to the shortages of computerised number plates.

On the other hand, the crackdown has troubled the masses as they are unable to procure the official plates. 

It should be highlighted that the provincial government had also passed orders back in 2020 regarding the computerised number plates.

The federal department had issued the contract to two private companies after which the contractors expressed the shortage of material. However, the company averted the tax of Rs56 million for which it was fined by the collector customs.

When contacted, the relevant officials declined to comment on the matter.

According to the NAB document, the company owners paid the amount of more than Rs62 million. In 2018, the owner of the company also sought a plea bargain in a corruption case.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *