Ajrak number plate decision not to be reversed under any circumstances: Sindh minister

KARACHI: Sindh Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Chawla on Wednesday said that the decision to implement security-featured Ajrak number plates will not be reversed under any circumstances.

In an interview with ARY News, the minister said that the Sindh government has been issuing the security-featured number plates since 2021.

Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that these number plates are mandatory for all motorcycle and vehicle owners.

The minister accused accused certain ‘linguistic groups’ of politicising the issue by associating the security-featured number plates plates with the Ajrak.

“These tactics are being used to spread division,” he added.

Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that Ajrak is a cultural symbol of Sindh, questioning why it should cause offense. The minister said that the number plates also feature the Mazar-e-Quaid and the Sindh government logo.

Read More: Ajrak number plate policy challenged in SHC

Meanwhile, the Sindh government’s decision to impose Sindh number plates for all licensed vehicles has caused anarchy and frustration among Karachi residents.

Intended to control theft of vehicles and improve tax collection, the initiative has instead caused lengthy waits, delayed issuance, and strict traffic enforcement.

According to official stats, Karachi has 3.5 million registered motorcycles and 2.3 million registered cars, making the rollout of new plates an operational headache.

Even though the task is important, the Excise Department has not given clear guidelines, which puts citizens at the mercy of the traffic police. In just two months, they have issued more than 52,000 challans.

In recent days, more than 12,000 vehicles and bikes have been seized due to non-compliance with the new Sindh number plates policy, and Karachi traffic challans have been issued too.

Citizens visiting the Civic Centre report being rejected, with authorities citing delays in plate production. One Excise official accepted that while only 500 motorbike plates were requested in the past two months, over 5,000 applications were filed in just 10 days.

The cost of the new Sindh number plates, Rs 1,850 for motorcycles and Rs 2,450 for cars, has also drawn disapproval. Many claim they’ve already paid registration fees and shouldn’t be charged again.

Political leaders, including MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Munem Zafar Khan, have condemned the move, calling it a form of “systematic extortion”.